. 
-•  J 


LUNIV.  OF  CALIF.  LTBttAKY.  LOS  ANGELES 


CARD1LLAC 


CARD1LLAC 


BY 

ROBERT  BARR 

AOTHO«  ow  u  TBKLA,"  u  THB  VICTORS,"  "  IN  THE  MIDST  o» 
ALARMS,"  ETC. 


With  Coloured  Frontispiece  by 
A.  G.  LEARNED 


FOURTH  EDITION 


NEW    YORK 

GROSSET   &   DUNLAP 

PUBLISHERS 


COPYRIGHT,  1909,  BY 
FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY 

COPYRIGHT,  1908,  09,  BY 
FRANK    A.   MUNSEY    CO 


All  Riphts  Reserved 


September, 


=2.  V 


C"pyrlj;ht,1909,  by 
Frederick  A.  Btokea  Companj 


ERESE   DE   MONTREUIL 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  THE  LETTER  THAT  WAS  A  JOKE     .  i 

II.  THE   ENCOUNTER  IN   THE   DARK     .  32 

III.  AN  INVITATION   AT  MIDNIGHT     .      .  45 

IV.  REFRESHMENTS    AND    AFFAIRS     .     .  54 
V.  THE    MOST    POTENT    DOCUMENT    IN 

FRANCE 64 

VI.  THE  GIRL  WHO  HAD  DISAPPEARED     .  72 

VII.  THE   QUEST   is    BEGUN     ....  83 

VIII.  A  CONTEST  OF  WITS 90 

IX.  A    DINNER    SPOILED 104 

X.  THE   ROYAL  ABBESS 116 

XI.  THE   EAVESDROPPER 130 

XII.  THE  ESCAPE  FROM  THE  CONVENT     .  136 

XIII.  A    WILDERNESS    FOR    Two     .     .      .  149 

XIV.  BROKEN  SOLITUDE 160 

XV.  ROMANCES   OF  THE   FOREST     .     .      .  170 

XVI.  THE  COURAGE  OF  A  MAID-SERVANT  .  184 

XVII.  THE  SWORD  WOUND  IN  THE  ARM  .  193 

XVIII.  THE  DIALOGUE  ON  THE  HIGHROAD  .  203 

XIX.  A  ROADSIDE  COMEDY 211 

XX.  THE  MIDNIGHT  PICNIC  IN  THE  WOODS  219 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXI.  AVOWALS  AND  ADVICE     .     .     >;    ,.     ,..  231 

XXII.  THE  FARM  OF  MALOCHE     ....  241 

XXIII.  CIRCUMVENTING   THE   PEASANT     .     .  250 

XXIV.  A  REVELATION 259 

XXV.  INTO    LOCHES 268 

XXVI.  THE  ARCH-PLOTTER  OF  THE  KINGDOM  278 

XXVII.  INTO  THE  ENEMY'S  CITADEL  .  .  .  288 

XXVIII.  A  CONFERENCE  DECLINED  .  .  .  294 

XXIX.  THE  TEST  OF  THE  SWORD  .  .  .  301 

XXX.  AN  ALLY  OF  NEITHER  .  .  .  .  311 

XXXI.  AN  INTRIGUING  Vis-a-vis  ....  323 
XXXII.  THE  PRICE  OF  A  SECRET  .  .  .  .331 

XXXIII.  ST.  VALENTINE'S  NIGHT     ....  339 

XXXIV.  DINNER  SURROUNDED  BY  THE  FOE     .  347 
XXXV.  How    THE     RESCUE     WAS    ACCOM- 
PLISHED         355 

XXXVI.  THE  REWARD .  362 


CARDILLAC 


CARDILLAC 

CHAPTER   I 

THE    LETTER    THAT    WAS    A    JOKE 

VICTOR    DE     CARDILLAC     had     re- 
mained motionless  so  long  that,   in  the 
gathering    darkness,    he    seemed    but    a 
carved  stone  figure  on  the  bridge.     He  was  lean- 
ing forward,  arms  folded  on  the  top  of  the  para- 
pet, gazing  steadily  at  the  swirling  water  below, 
which  at  last  became  invisible  save  for  the  quiver- 
ing reflection  of  yellow  lights  from  the  windows 
of  the  palaces  on  either  bank. 

It  is  doubtful  if  in  all  Paris  there  was  to  be 
found  another  whose  thoughts  were  more  bitter 
than  those  of  the  young  man  who  leaned  against 
the  parapet  that  July  evening.  It  was  not  so 
much  the  loss  of  all  his  money,  which  was  little 
enough  to  begin  with,  nor  the  waste  of  his  time, 
which  was  of  no  particular  value,  nor  even  his 
disappointment  at  not  getting  a  place  in  Paris, 
nor  his  chagrin  at  being  kept  uselessly  loitering 
round  the  doors  and  in  the  antechambers  of  the 
great,  without  ever  receiving  a  message  or  a  word 
from  the  nobleman  he  sought,  that  wrought  up 


2  CARDILLAC 

this  young  man  of  twenty-four  to  the  dangerous 
pitch  in  which  we  find  him.  That  afternoon,  at 
four  o'clock,  he  had  discovered  that  the  letter 
which  lured  him  to  Paris  had  been  but  a  joke, 
and,  carrying  it  about  in  his  pocket  for  nearly 
four  months,  he,  a  Gascon,  had  never  seen  the 
point  of  it. 

The  rigid,  motionless  posture  of  Cardillac  was 
caused  by  the  intensity  of  his  thoughts,  as  he 
cast  his  mind  backward  over  the  past  few  months, 
and  meditated  savagely  on  the  fool's  errand  which 
had  brought  him  to  Paris;  on  the  weeks  and 
weeks  of  humiliating  dangling  at  the  Luynes 
Palace;  on  the  final  stinging  insult  of  the  jocular 
letter. 

The  rise  of  Charles  d' Albert  of  Luynes  had 
been  bewilderingly  rapid,  even  for  France,  where 
favouritism,  and  not  merit,  was  the  elevating 
power.  As  a  boy  Luynes  had  come  up  from  the 
south,  from  Aix  in  Provence,  had  obtained  a  place 
as  page  in  the  service  of  the  Count  de  Lude,  and 
had  attracted  the  attention  of  Henri  IV,  who  made 
young  Luynes  companion  to  his  weakly  son,  Louis. 

Over  the  infantile  mind  of  the  young  Dauphin, 
Luynes  attained  complete  ascendency.  When 
Louis  was  nine  years  old,  that  great  King,  his 
father,  was  assassinated,  and  the  widowed  Queen, 
Marie  de  Medicis,  an  Italian  woman,  became 
ruler  of  France  as  Regent.  Marie  became  the 


most  detested  of  the  foreigners  who  from  time  to 
time  had  governed  France.  She  appointed  as 
her  Prime  Minister  a  worthless  Florentine  named 
Concini,  ana  together  these  two  Italians,  woman 
and  man;  tyrannised  the  land  for  seven  years. 

All  this  time  Charles  d' Albert,  the  suave,  sport- 
loving,  plebeian  young  man  from  the  south,  was 
unknown  to  the  world.  No  one  paid  the  slight- 
est attention  to  the  influence  he  had  obtained  over 
the  lad  who,  some  day,  would  be  King  as  Louis 
XIII,  nor  realised  what  this  influence  might  mean 
in  the  future.  The  Italian  man  and  the  Italian 
woman  seemed  securely  entrenched  in  absolute 
power.  Concini  swaggered  about  Paris  with  a  ret- 
inue of  fifty  swordsmen  to  guard  him,  as  if  he 
were  King  in  name  as  well  as  reality,  when  sud- 
denly the  unknown  struck,  and  struck  with  finality. 

Concini  was  shot  dead  in  the  midst  of  his 
fifty  protectors,  in  the  courtyard  of  the  Louvre, 
and  no  defender  drew  a  sword,  as  indeed  would 
have  been  useless  when  their  chief  lay  prone  on 
the  pavement.  The  Queen  Mother  was  deported 
from  Paris,  and  imprisoned  in  the  royal  chateau 
at  Blois.  Louis  XIII,  proclaimed  King,  set  his 
sole  favourite,  d' Albert,  in  the  saddle  of  power, 
as  worthless  and  arrogant  as  the  man  he  had  elim- 
inated, but  French,  nevertheless.  If  we  must  be 
ruled  by  scoundrels,  let  us  choose  our  own  coun- 
trymen. 


4  CARDILLAC 

The  affair  was  bewildering  in  its  speed  and  com- 
pleteness; no  one  had  time  to  hedge.  If  courtiers 
had  but  guessed  what  was  going  to  happen, 
sycophant  place-hunters  might  have  made  friends 
with  this  unheeded  young  man  while  he  was  in 
obscurity.  As  it  was,  d' Albert  found  himself  un- 
der obligations  to  no  one,  except  the  assassin,  and 
him  he  paid  in  gold  and  protection. 

Then  began  a  balmy  period  for  poverty-stricken 
Provence.  Up  to  Paris  came  troops  of  cousins, 
second  cousins,  fortieth  cousins,  and  each  of  them 
got  a  place  under  the  patronage  of  Charles 
d' Albert  of  Luynes. 

It  was  at  this  time  that  the  old  lord  of  Cardil- 
lac,  poor  of  purse,  but  proud  of  pedigree,  looking 
about  for  a  position  that  his  son,  aged  twenty-four, 
might  fill  with  profit,  remembered  that  Charles 
d' Albert  had  been  sent  years  before  by  his  father 
to  Bordeaux,  and  had  received  hospitality  at  Car- 
dillac  Castle.  The  Marquis  of  Cardillac  had  per- 
suaded the  youth  not  to  blight  his  future  prospects 
by  engaging  in  commerce  and  immuring  himself  in 
a  provincial  city  like  Bordeaux,  but  to  journey 
north  to  Tours,  at  that  moment  occupied  by  the 
Court.  He  had  given  the  boy  a  letter  to  his 
friend,  the  Count  de  Lude,  which  had  secured  him 
the  post  of  page,  and  now  it  seemed  that 
d' Albert,  with  whose  name  all  France  was  ring- 
ing, was  a  man  who  believed  that  one  good  turn 


THE    LETTER    THAT   WAS    A   JOKE      5 

deserved  another.  Therefore  old  Cardillac 
caused  his  son  to  write  to  the  new  favourite,  re- 
counting these  circumstances,  and  asking  if  Charles 
d'Albert  of  Luynes  would  counsel  the  young  man 
to  go  to  Paris,  as  the  young  man's  father  had 
counselled  d'Albert  himself  to  visit  Tours.  In. 
due  time  the  reply  came : 

Paris,  by  all  means.  It  is  a  delightful  city,  where  young 
men  enjoy  themselves,  and  become  rich.  I  long  to  embrace  the 
founder  of  my  fortune.  LUYNES. 

This  letter  appeared  to  be  cordial  enough,  and 
on  the  strength  of  it  young  Cardillac  went  to 
Paris.  If  the  truth  be  told,  he  was  rather  elated 
at  possessing  so  intimate  a  communication  from 
the  most  powerful  man  in  France,  and  in  the  cer- 
tainty of  an  early  appointment  he  refused  to  give 
up  the  letter  to  any  underling,  demanding  im- 
mediate admittance  to  the  presence  of  Charles 
d'Albert  of  Luynes. 

This  pretence  was  ignored,  and  young  Cardillac 
found  himself  left  out  in  the  cold,  passed  by  and 
neglected,  while  his  purse  was  running  lower  and 
lower,  and  his  costume,  which  had  never  com- 
pared with  the  brilliancy  of  Paris  wear,  was  be- 
coming shabbier  and  shabbier. 

Earlier  in  the  afternoon  on  which  we  find  Car- 
dillac leaning  over  the  parapet  of  the  bridge,  an 
old  warder  of  the  entrance  hall,  who  had  observed 


6  CARDILLAC 

him  there,  day  by  day,  for  months,  growing  thin- 
ner and  gaunter  as  time  wore  uselessly  on,  being 
from  the  country  himself,  and  seeing  plainly  that 
the  young  man  showed  little  knowledge  of  Paris, 
approached  him  and  spoke. 

"  Sir,  whence  do  you  come  ?  " 

"  From  Cardillac,  in  Gascony." 

"  I  am  from  Avignon.  We  are  both  of  the 
south,  although  you  live  on  the  western  border  of 
France,  and  I  on  the  eastern.  Sir,  can  I  serve 
you?" 

"  I  should  be  delighted  if  you  did,  but,  as  a 
preamble,  I  must  honestly  say  that  I  possess  no 
money  to  part  with." 

"I  knew  that  before  you  spoke,"  replied  the 
other.  "You  wish  to  see  my  master,  perhaps?" 

"It  is  for  that  purpose  I  have  been  here  these 
many  days." 

"May  I  examine  your  credentials? — for  none 
get  beyond  this  point  who  are  not  well  provided 
with  them.  You  seem  to  be  ignorant  of  the  cus- 
toms at  Court." 

"Surely  I  am  that,  yet  my  credentials  are  the 
best  that  could  be  required,  being  no  other  than 
an  invitation  from  Luynes  himself,  asking  me  to 
Paris." 

"  Sir,  will  you  show  me  the  document?  " 

"  With  pleasure,"  and  Cardillac  handed  the  old 
man  his  precious  letter.  The  official  read  it  over 


THE    LETTER    THAT   WAS    A   JOKE      7 

slowly,  but  gently  shook  his  head  as  he  returned 
it. 

"  I  fear  it  will  be  of  little  use  to  you,  sir.  This 
document  is  not  in  the  handwriting  of  Monsieur 
de  Luynes." 

The  young  man  started  to  his  feet. 

"A  forgery!"  he  cried. 

"No,  not  a  forgery.  A!  communication  sent 
under  command  of  my  master,  but  written  by  one 
of  his  secretaries." 

"  To  an  honourable  man,  and  I  trust  Luynes  is 
such,  the  obligation  is  the  same." 

"  True,  but  there  is  much  press  of  business  since 
my  master  undertook  the  huge  task  which  is  be- 
fore him.  The  moment  he  attained  his  present 
position,  there  sprang  up  in  all  quarters  of  France, 
and  here  in  Paris  itself,  by  the  hundreds,  people 
who  said  they  had  been  of  assistance  to  him  dur- 
ing his  years  of  nonentity.  I  presume  you  pre- 
ferred a  similar  claim." 

"  But  my  claim  was  a  just  one." 

"Sir,  I  fully  believe  you,  but  the  others  held 
their  claims  were  just  also,  and  they  demand  com- 
pensation now  that  Monsieur  de  Luynes  is  in  a 
position  to  requite." 

"  I  demanded  nothing,"  proclaimed  the  young 
man,  hotly,  "  but  merely  reminded  him  of  the 
introduction  and  advice  my  father  had  given  him, 
which  put  his  foot  on  the  first  rung  of  the  ladder. 


8  CARDILLAC 

I  then  asked  if  he  advised  me  to  proceed  to  Paris, 
and  this  is  his  answer.  Do  you  say  it  means  noth- 

ing?" 

"  It  is  not  for  me  to  pass  judgment,"  said  the 
old  man  slowly.  "  The  secretaries  of  Monsieur 
de  Luynes  are  very  methodical.  You  may  see  at 
the  top  of  the  page  the  number  97,  which  means 
that  ninety-six  persons  have  received  a  similar  let- 
ter previous  to  this  one  being  sent  to  you.  I  ad- 
vise you  not  to  build  upon  the  document.  It  is, 
indeed,  nothing  but  a  joke." 

-  "Nothing  but  a  joke?"  cried  the  proud  Car- 
dillac.  "  Surely  you  yourself  but  jest.  He 
would  not  dare !  " 

"Dare  what?"  asked  the  old  man,  lifting  his 
eyebrows. 

"  Dare  to  jest  with  one  of  my  name  and  house." 

"  I  am  ignorant  of  the  standing  of  the  house 
of  Cardillac  in  Gascony,"  returned  the  ancient 
quietly,  with  nevertheless  a  trace  of  sarcasm  in  his 
tone,  "  but  my  master  dares  jest  with  representa- 
tives of  the  first  families  in  France,  and  they  have 
the  courtesy  to  laugh  heartily,  even  if  the  point  is 
turned  against  them." 

'If  he  turns  the  point  of  a  witticism  against 
me,"  cried  Cardillac,  "  he'll  meet  the  point  of  my 
sword  in  return." 

'Tut-tut,"  cautioned  the  old  man,  "do  not 
speak  so  loud." 


THE    LETTER    THAT   WAS    A    JOKE      9 

"  Why  should  I  not  speak  at  the  top  of  my 
voice,  here  or  elsewhere?  The  castle  of  Cardillac 
has  been  in  the  possession  of  my  family  for  four- 
teen generations,  and  this  man  is  but  the  son  of  a 
corn-chandler  in  Aix,  who  had  saved  enough 
money  to  buy  the  insignificant  property  of 
Luynes,  from  which  he  now  names  himself.  This 
man  was  destined  by  his  father  to  be  a  wine  mer- 
chant in  Bordeaux !  " 

"  Sir,"  said  the  dignified  official  solemnly,  "  you 
are  hot-headed  and  injudicious.  I  fear  your  career 
in  Paris  will  be  short." 

'  You  would  not  say  so  if  you  knew  how  adept 
I  am  with  the  sword." 

"  Hush !  "  commanded  the  venerable.  "  You 
are  attracting  attention  to  us.  If  you  refuse  to 
take  thought  for  yourself,  at  least  show  some  con- 
sideration for  me.  You  are  in  Paris  for  the  pur- 
pose of  advancing  yourself.  Day  after  day  you 
have  attended  these  assemblies.  How  many 
friends  have  you  made?" 

"  Not  one." 

"How  many  enemies,  then?" 

"  Not  one,  either.     I  have  spoken  to  none." 

"  Then,  sir,  you  have  most  vilely  misused  both 
time  and  opportunity.  Being  a  man  well  on  in 
years,  my  own  inclination  leans  towards  the 
making  of  friends,  but,  next  to  a  friend,  an  enemy 
is  useful  for  one  who  wishes  to  mount  the  ladder. 


10  CARDILLAC 

If  you  are  so  good  a  swordsman  as  you  hint,  why 
have  you  let  all  these  weeks  pass  without  proving 
it?  A  man's  word  goes  for  nothing  here  in  Paris. 
I  dare  swear  there  are  ten  thousand  swords  within 
a  mile  of  the  Court  better  than  yours." 

Cardillac  drew  himself  up  haughtily,  but  doubt- 
less on  second  thought  considered  it  better  to  make 
no  remark. 

"  You  may  shout  your  prowess  from  the  house- 
tops, and  no  one  will  believe  you.  They  will 
laugh  at  you." 

"  No  man  laughs  twice  at  me,"  said  Cardillac, 
"  and  your  master  will  yet  learn  that  I  have  not 
forgotten  his  epistolary  joke." 

"There  is  Denarac,  for  instance,  accounted  a 
pretty  swordsman.  It  happens  that  my  master 
looks  upon  him  with  suspicion,  for  Denarac  is 
supposed  to  favour  the  Queen  Mother,  now  re- 
siding in  Blois,  when  he  should  be  a  loyal  subject 
of  our  most  gracious  King,  Louis  XIII,  whom 
God  preserve.  Now,  Denarac  is  ready  enough 
with  his  laugh,  and  if  you  crossed  his  path  would 
doubtless  favour  you  with  his  merriment.  If  there- 
upon you  issued  your  challenge,  and  ran  him 
through  at  the  hour  appointed,  Monsieur  de 
Luynes  would  speedily  send  for  you,  instead  of 
allowing  you  to  cool  your  heels  in  his  vestibule. 
If  a  man's  sword  is  swift  and  sure,  he  needs  no 
letter  of  introduction  here  in  Paris." 


THE    LETTER    THAT   WAS    A   JOKE     II 

"Sir,  I  am  not  a  swashbuckler,  swaggering 
round  to  find  my  enemies  or  friends.  If  a  man 
insults  me,  why,  that's  a  different  thing.  Let  him 
then  depend  on  his  sword  to  defend  him  from  the 
mistake  made  by  his  tongue." 

"Well,  young  sir,  good  swords  will  be  needed 
before  long  in  this  land  of  France.  By  the  way, 
how  stand  you  ?  For  the  Queen  Mother,  or  for 
your  lawful  King?" 

"I  trust  I  am  for  my  lawful  King;  otherwise 
what  should  I  do  here  in  Paris?  " 

14  There  are  many  in  Paris  who  hold  a  con- 
trary opinion,  but  the  people  of  France  as  a  whole 
will  never  again  allow  themselves  to  be  ruled  by 
an  Italian  woman.  The  young  King  is  a  French- 
man, whatever  else  may  be  said  of  him." 

"  Only  half  French,  I  think.  His  mother  is 
the  Italian  woman  you  speak  of." 

The  old  man  looked  critically  at  his  younger 
vis-a-vis  before  he  replied: 

"  But  his  father  was  Henri  the  Great,  and  the 
son  is  Frenchman  enough  to  imprison  his  Italian 
mother." 

"  It  was  Luynes  did  that." 
'Young  man,"  said  the  guard  with  asperity, 
"  for  one  so  little  versed  in  the  ways  of  the  world, 
you  are  overfond  of  contradicting." 

For  the  first  time  during  their  conversation  the 
young  man  laughed  lightly. 


12  CARDILLAC 

"Perhaps  I  am,"  he  said.  "Go  on.  I  think 
you  have  something  to  propose.  I  shall  not  con- 
tradict you  again.  I  am  too  anxious  for  work  to 
do,  and  will  not  again  jeopardise  my  chance." 

"  I  am  a  distant  cousin  of  Monsieur  de  Luynes. 
When  there  is  any  transaction  to  be  carried 
through  which  requires  secrecy,  caution  and  dis- 
patch, it  is  to  me  he  entrusts  its  execution." 

The  old  Provencal  gave  utterance  to  this  state- 
ment with  an  air  of  gentle  pride,  not  untainted  by 
the  boastfulness  of  the  south.  Cardillac,  whose 
self-conceit  had  been  grievously  wounded  by  the 
revelation  that  the  letter  on  which  he  had  de- 
pended as  a  guide-post  on  the  road  to  fortune  was 
merely  a  trap  to  delude  the  gullible,  looked  his 
interlocutor  up  and  down  with  a  somewhat  critical 
regard,  not  unmixed  with  incredulity.  The  young 
man  was  shrewd,  even  if  he  had  been  taken  in 
by  the  apparent  cordiality  of  this  bogus  letter, 
and  it  seemed  to  him  rather  odd  that  the  dictator 
of  France  should  entrust  his  secret  schemes  to  a 
garrulous  old  braggart  who  conversed  about  them 
with  a  stranger  of  whom  he  knew  nothing.  It 
seemed  to  Cardillac  that  if  the  man  in  power 
had  surrounded  himself  with  country  relatives  so 
communicative  as  this  official,  he  might  soon  ex- 
pect a  downfall  as  sudden  and  complete  as  his 
uprising.  The  old  man  saw  the  expression  of 
disbelief  that  came  into  the  younger's  face. 


THE    LETTER    THAT   WAS    A    JOKE     13 

"  I  see  you  do  not  believe  me,"  he  said,  "  but 
that  is  merely  because  you  do  not  understand  our 
situation  here." 

The  old  retainer  drew  him  towards  a  corner 
of  the  hall  that  was  deserted,  and  the  two  sat 
down  on  a  bench  far  apart  from  the  rapidly  less- 
ening throng  in  the  waiting-chamber. 

"  Properly  to  understand  the  situation,  you  must 
know  the  manner  of  man  my  cousin  Luynes  is. 
You  must  estimate  the  effect  of  his  upbringing  and 
his  education." 

"  I  understand,"  interrupted  Cardillac,  "  that 
he  has  had  little  education  and  no  upbringing, 
while  by  birth  he  is  a  peasant." 

The  old  man  indulged  in  the  superior  smile  of 
one  who  knows,  but  is  indulgent  to  youthful 
ignorance  and  youthful  hot-headedness. 

"  We  should  judge  education  by  its  results.  As 
you  yourself  have  several  times  pointed  out,  he 
is  a  man  of  no  family;  therefore,  coming  to  Court 
in  a  menial  position,  he  is  entirely  unheeded  by 
those  above  him  and  around  him.  He  comes,  as 
you  say,  from  the  peasant  class:  a  class  in  which 
each  individual  is  remarkable  for  his  keen  judg- 
ment of  his  fellows;  a  class  whose  livelihood  de- 
pends on  well-laid  plans,  unwaveringly  carried  out. 
Always  he  is  unheeded,  mind  you  that,  and  be- 
fore this  unaccounted  lad,  this  youth,  this  growing 
man,  there  passes  continually  the  pageant  of  the 


14  CARDILLAC 

Court  of  France.  In  his  mind,  wax  to  receive 
and  marble  to  retain,  the  human  items  of  this  pro- 
cession are  noted,  estimated,  and  set  down  at  their 
proper  value,  for  he  has  seen  them  and  heard 
them  at  unguarded  moments.  He  knows  thor- 
oughly the  pawns  with  which  he  will  yet  play  the 
game  of  life  when  the  proper  moment  arrives,  and 
look  you  how  he  struck,  my  lord  of  Cardillac. 
The  foolish  Queen,  drunk  with  seven  years  of  un- 
questioned power,  France  groaning  under  her 
tyrannical  sway,  tightens  her  grip  upon  the  un- 
fortunate land." 

"How?" 

"  By  sending  her  strongest  partisans  here,  there 
and  everywhere,  to  suppress  ruthlessly  the  slightest 
attempt  at  revolt.  That  strong  man,  the  Duke 
d'Epernon,  is  made  governor  of  the  impregnable 
castle  of  Loches;  his  crafty  son  is  promoted  to 
the  archbishopric  of  Toulouse.  The  father  is 
sent  west,  the  son  is  sent  south.  And  so  it  is  in 
other  quarters  of  the  realm.  Her  powerful  cham- 
pion in  Paris  is  the  Duke  de  Montreuil,  who  is  so 
rich  that  he  does  not  wish  a  distant  governorship, 
but  desires  to  remain  in  Paris.  To  all  the  world, 
inside  or  outside  of  Paris,  the  Regency  seemed  as 
solid  as  the  Pyramids  of  Egypt;  to  all  the  world, 
that  is,  except  one  man — Charles  d'Albert  of 
Luynes,  the  peasant's  son.  With  a  wave  of  his 
wand  the  whole  system  collapses  like  a  house  of 
cards." 


THE    LETTER    THAT   WAS    A   JOKE    15 

"  With  the  shot  of  a  musket,  you  mean,"  cor- 
rected Cardillac  grimly. 

"  My  young  sir,  the  sound  of  the  musket  was 
but  the  trumpet  blast  before  the  walls  of  Jericho. 
A  musket  shot — an  assassination,  if  you  like  to 
call  it  so — but  brings  confusion,  unless  the  after- 
plans  are  perfected.  Like  armed  warriors  spring- 
ing from  the  ground,  as  in  the  classic  fable,  that 
portion  of  the  army  on  which  Luynes  knew  he 
could  depend  emerges  from  the  forest,  and  masses 
itself  around  the  castle  of  Blois.  That  check- 
mates Epernon  in  his  strong  tower  at  Loches. 
Blois  stands  between  him  and  Paris,  and  his 
strength  is  nullified.  He  dare  not  march  to  the 
succour  of  the  Queen." 

"  And  yet,"  said  Cardillac,  deeply  interested  in 
this  exposition  of  Luynes's  mentality,  "  and  yet, 
when  I  came  up  to  Paris  from  Bordeaux,  more 
than  two  months  ago,  I  sat  on  my  horse  and  saw 
the  young  archbishop  of  Toulouse  marching  at 
the  head  of  five  hundred  men,  on  his  way  to 
Loches,  to  reinforce  his  father's  garrison.  This 
junction  you  were  unable  to  prevent." 

Again  the  indulgent  smile  illuminated  the  gentle 
countenance  of  the  veteran. 

"  The  young  archbishop,  thank  God,  may  have 
five  hundred  men,  or  five  thousand,  but  he  does 
not  possess  the  brains  of  his  father.  Luynes  had 
a  messenger  ride  hot-haste  to  Toulouse  from  Blois. 
Arriving  at  the  southern  city,  he,  being  a  man  of 


16  CARDILLAC 

Loches,  had  no  difficulty  in  persuading  the  arch- 
bishop that  he  came  from  the  Duke  d'Epernon,  his 
father,  with  orders,  verbal  because  he  dare  not 
trust  them  to  writing,  asking  the  archbishop  to 
bring  to  Loches  all  the  men  he  could  gather  round 
him,  and  thus  we  have  imprisoned  the  archbishop 
and  his  five  hundred  men." 

"Imprisoned?     Surely  that  is  not  the  word  to 


use." 


"They  are  as  safely  imprisoned  in  Loches  as 
if  we  had  them  in  the  Bastille.  What  now  think 
you  is  the  key  to  the  whole  situation?  " 

"  I  do  not  know,"  replied  Cardillac. 

"  Why,  it  is  Paris ;  it  is  turbulent,  uncertain 
Paris.  Luynes  and  the  young  King  must  make 
sure  of  Paris,  and  the  rest  of  the  country  may 
go  hang,  as  has  always  been  the  case.  Look  you 
at  the  situation.  There  are  Epernon  and  his 
son,  with  all  their  men,  in  Loches  Castle,  out  of 
which  they  dare  not  move.  They  know  the  castle 
is  impregnable,  and  once  they  leave  it  to  fight  in 
the  open,  Luynes  has  double  their  number  of  men 
at  Blois  waiting  to  meet  them.  Since  then  he 
has  stationed  five  thousand  men  at  Tours,  within 
striking  distance  of  Loches,  and  now,  if  the  Duke 
d'Epernon  dare  leave  that  fortress,  these  men 
of  Tours  will  not  attempt  to  fight  him,  but  will 
instantly  occupy  the  town  and  castle  he  has  aban- 
doned, and  that  without  taking  a  single  man  away 


THE    LETTER    THAT   WAS    A   JOKE     IT 

from  Blois,  where  they  guard  the  imprisoned 
Queen. 

"And  look  you  now  at  the  craft  of  Luynes's 
treatment  of  the  Queen.  Instead  of  placing  her 
here  in  the  Bastille,  where  she  might  at  any  time 
be  rescued  by  an  uprising  in  Paris,  he  moved  her, 
just  as  if  she  were  on  a  chess-board,  down  to 
Blois,  as  near  as  possible  to  her  principal  sup- 
porter, Epernon,  at  Loches.  Thus  Paris  is 
tranquil.  An  insurrection  here  could  not  help  the 
Queen.  Thus  we  have  the  Queen  herself  impris- 
oned in  Blois ;  her  favourite,  Concini,  always  hated 
by  the  people,  is  dead;  her  only  general  with 
brains  and  knowledge  of  strategy  holds  the 
strongest  castle  in  France,  and  his  very  strength 
is  his  weakness,  because  he  dare  not  leave  it  and 
allow  it  to  fall  into  our  hands.  If  he  leaves  it,  he 
is  crushed  in  the  field  by  our  superior  numbers; 
if  he  stays  there,  he  is  nullified." 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  said  Cardillac,  "  that  there 
can  be  no  other  outcome  than  civil  war." 

"  You  but  voice  the  general  opinion,"  replied 
the  old  man  complacently,  "  but  those  who  hold 
that  opinion  do  not  know  Luynes.  He  has  de- 
cided that  there  shall  be  no  civil  war;  he  holds 
with  Sully  the  belief  that  France's  salvation  rests 
with  the  plough  and  the  cow.  For  the  first  time 
in  the  history  of  France,  there  comes  to  the  head 
of  its  government  a  man  with  the  intellect  and 


18  CARDILLAC 

knowledge  of  a  peasant,  who  nevertheless  knows 
every  twist  and  turn  of  nobility's  mind;  of  the 
minds  of  those  who  have  hitherto  ruled  this  king- 
dom. He  regards  the  peasants,  quite  rightly,  as 
producers ;  he  regards  the  nobles,  and  quite  rightly, 
too,  as  the  spenders.  His  theory  is  that  France 
needs  but  tranquillity  to  become  prosperous.  For 
barely  three  months  he  JIHF  been  in  the  saddle,  and 
what  already  is  the  condition  of  affairs?  All  over 
France  the  nobles,  like  Kpernon  in  Loches,  are 
hemmed  up  in  this  fortress  or  that,  each  with  his 
handful  of  men.  They  cannot  spend  money,  even 
if  they  had  millions  at  their  disposal,  for  it  is  only 
in  Paris  that  fortunes  are  lost  or  won  in  a  day. 
In  France,  then,  peasants  are  producing  wealth 
which  nobles  cannot  spend.  It  needs  only  a  few 
years  of  this  condition,  and  France  becomes  the 
most  wealthy  and  prosperous  country  in  the 
world." 

"A  civil  war  will  soon  dissipate  the  prosperity 
and  the  wealth." 

"You  sperk  truly;  but,  as  I  told  you,  Luynes 
has  determined  there  shall  be  no  civil  war." 

"  How  can  one  man,  and  that  man,  as  you 
admit,  peasant-born,  be  assured  that  civil  war 
will  not  break  out?"  cried  Cardillac,  with  some 
impatience.  "  The  aristocracy  for  centuries  have 
been  the  governing  body,  just  as  the  peasants  have 
been  the  working  body  of  the  state.  It  is  never 


THE    LETTER    THAT   WAS    A   JOKE     19 

the  peasants  who  bring  about  a  civil  war.  It  is 
always  some  proud  and  rebellious  noble  who  lights 
the  torch  of  civil  war,  and  the  unhappy  peasant, 
who  is  but  a  slave,  must,  perforce,  follow  to  vic- 
tory or  to  destruction,  as  the  case  may  be." 

"Sir,  it  astonishes  me  that  one  who  can  speak 
so  sanely  of  the  causes  of  turbulence  should  yet 
possess  a  mind  biassed  by  the  prejudice  of  his 
class  to  such  an  extent  that  he  is  unable  to  give 
proper  weight  to  the  epoch-making  change  that 
has  taken  place  in  the  governm'ent.  Monsieur 
de  Luynes  is  providentially  granted  exactly  the 
opportunity  he  requires.  All  he  needs  in  addi- 
tion is  time.  Every  day  that  passes  strengthens 
him,  and  when  the  aristocracy  has  awakened  to 
its  error,  Charles  d' Albert  de  Luynes  will  be  in  a 
position  to  crush  every  member  of  it  back  into  the 
ranks  of  the  proletariat  from  which  the  ancestors 
of  the  aristocracy  originally  sprung,  if  he  chooses 
to  do  so." 

"  Well,  he  has  his  work  cut  out  for  him,"  said 
Cardillac,  with  an  incredulous  smile,  "  and  you 
seem  to  forget  that  while  Charles  d' Albert  of 
Luynes  may,  and  doubtless  will,  inherit  the  corn 
traffic  of  his  father,  he  has  not  inherited  the  crown 
of  France,  even  though,  for  the  moment,  the 
Queen  Mother  is  his  prisoner." 

"The  crown  of  France,"  said  the  elder 
solemnly,  bowing  his  grey  head  at  the  mention 


20  CARDILLAC 

of  this  insignia,  "  rests  on  the  head  of  its  rightful 
heir,  Louis  XIII,  whom  God  preserve,  who  in  two 
months'  time  will  be  seventeen  years  old,  who  is 
infirm  in  body,  and  whose  mind  is  what  Mon- 
sieur de  Luynes  has  made  it.  For  a  dozen  years 
Luynes  has  been  his  constant  companion,  his  only 
playmate,  the  one  person  on  earth  who  has  in- 
variably been  kind  to  him,  and  who  was,  further- 
more, appointed  by  Henri  IV,  whose  memory 
young  Louis  reveres.  The  crown,  you  say?  How 
could  the  crown  be  placed  to  better  advantage 
for  Monsieur  de  Luynes  than  where  it  is?  If  it 
were  offered  to  him,  he  would  refuse  it  as  that 
strong  man  Caesar  did.  No.  The  safety  of  the 
aristocracy  lies  in  the  ambition  of  Charles  d' Albert 
de  Luynes.  The  stupidity  of  the  nobles  would 
cause  their  downfall,  were  it  not  for  Monsieur  de 
Luynes's  determination  to  leave  the  ranks  of  the 
peasantry,  and  join  the  ranks  of  the  aristoc- 
racy. He  will  found  a  house  able  to  hold  up 
its  head  amongst  the  proudest  seigneurs  of 
France." 

Cardillac  laughed  scornfully,  which  seemed  to 
irritate  his  elderly,  loquacious  friend. 

"  Look  you,  young  sir :  Luynes  is  betrothed 
to  the  daughter  of  the  Duke  de  Montbazon,  one 
of  the  heiresses  of  France,  whose  father  is  among 
the  few  who  guess  in  what  direction  the  wind 
is  blowing.  The  King  has  promised  Luynes  the 


THE    LETTER    THAT   WAS    A   JOKE    21 

estate  of  Maille,  on  the  Loire,  seven  miles  below 
Tours,  an  estate  which  surrounds  the  most  noble 
feudal  castle  in  France.  Laugh  now,  my  Gascon 
lad." 

"  I  hope  you  do  not  use  the  word  Gascon  other- 
wise than  as  a  term  of  compliment  and  honour," 
said  the  young  man  with  some  asperity. 

"  No,  oh,  no !  "  responded  the  elder  in  haste. 

"  In  like  manner,  when  I  employ  the  word  Pro- 
ven^al,  it  is  to  bestow  upon  my  phrase  the  quality 
of  admiration." 

The  old  gentleman  bowed  profoundly. 

"  It  requires,  then,  the  vivid  imagination  of  a 
Provengal  poet  to  see  anything  of  stability  in 
the  position  of  Charles  d'Albert  de  Luynes.  The 
place  he  occupies  was  produced  by  a  musket,  and 
is  supported  by  a  prison.  Of  the  former  twin 
rulers  of  France,  one  is  in  the  grave,  the  other  in 
a  cell.  What  a  musket  has  done,  a  musket  can 
do.  He  who  lives  by  the  sword  shall  die  by 
the  sword,  and  it  is  the  fashion  of  prisons  to  re- 
lease a  victim  that  it  may  embrace  that  victim's 
jailor." 

The  elder  set  his  hand  lightly  on  the  younger's 
shoulder,  with  a  gesture  that  was  fatherly. 

"  My  eloquent  lad,"  he  said,  "  Gascony  has 
produced  poets  which  rival  those  of  Provence. 
You  and  I  are  of  the  south  and  understand  one 
another,  yet  I  find  it  difficult  to  convey  to  your 


22  CARDILLAC 

mind  a  true  comprehension  of  the  case.  Mon- 
sieur de  Luynes  has  put  no  one  in  prison." 

"  You  hold  me  gullible  indeed,"  cried  the  young 
man  angrily,  shaking  the  hand  from  his  shoulder. 
"  All  France  knows  that  Marie  de  Medicis,  the 
Queen  Mother,  has  been  imprisoned  in  Blois  these 
two  months  past." 

The  Chateau  of  Blois  is  not  a  prison,  but  a 
palace.  It  has  ever  been  the  favourite  residence 
of  the  kings  of  France.  Louis  XIII  has  bestowed 
upon  his  mother  the  most  beautiful  and  the  most 
luxurious  house  he  possesses,  and  that  there  may 
,be  no  diminution  in  the  estate  to  which  she  has 
been  accustomed,  he  has  furnished  her  with  retinue, 
with  guards  of  honour,  forming  a  pageant  equal 
to  that  which  surrounded  her  here  in  Paris." 

"  A  pageant  of  jailors  and  spies !  " 

"  Nonsense,  my  over-emphatic  young  friend. 
All  courts  are  permeated  by  spies,  and,  in  a  man- 
ner, every  court  is  a  prison,  with  the  king  its 
chief  inmate.  Marie  de  Medicis  has  made  no 
protest  against  her  change  of  residence,  and,  in- 
deed, why  should  she?  Blois  is  a  delightful 
place,  Touraine  one  of  the  most  charming 
provinces  in  France,  and  the  chateau,  as  I  have 
hinted,  is  even  .more  luxurious  than  the  Palace  of 
the  Louvre." 

"  If  what  you  say  is  true,"  commented  Car- 
dillac,  "  why  then  all  these  military  preparations 


by  Luynes,  of  which  you  boasted  a  while  since? 
Why  is  an  army  stationed  at  Blois,  and  another 
at  Tours?" 

The  elder  man  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"Yes,  and  still  another,  that  I  have  not  men- 
tioned, ready  to  pounce  on  Epernon  the  mo- 
ment he  quits  his  shelter  at  Loches.  All  these  are 
simply  Monsieur  de  Luynes's  precautions,  taken 
against  disturbance ;  precautions  rendered  necessary 
by  the  fact  that  others  besides  yourself  may 
imagine  the  Queen  a  prisoner.  If  such  a  delusion 
should  cause  activity  among  the  Queen's  partisans, 
we  on  our  part  must  be  ready  to  convince  them  of 
their  error  by  annihilating  them.  Our  good  will 
towards  Marie  de  Medicis  is  shown  by  our  gen- 
erous conduct  to  her.  Oh,  no,  Monsieur  de  Car- 
dillac,  there  is  no  Queen  imprisoned  in  France. 
Indeed,  the  remarkable  thing  about  this  change 
of  government  is  that  it  has  furnished  but  one 
prisoner." 

"And  who  is  he?" 

"  I  must  not  mention  names,  and,  indeed,  I 
exaggerate  when  I  call  her  a  prisoner,  for  she  is 
merely  sent  to  a  convent,  where  I  trust  she  will 
receive  many  advantages  that  will  be  of  benefit  to 
her,  if  she  follow  the  example  set  before  her  by 
the  noble  ladies  who  are  sisters  of  the  order." 

"  Ah,  another  woman  in  jail !  I  am  getting 
much  insight  into  the  character  of  Luynes.  He  is 


24  CARDILLAC 

a  brave  fighter  with  women,  and  holds  his  place 
through  the  favour  of  an  imbecile  boy." 

"  My  impetuous  friend,  you  are  skirting  dan- 
gerously near  to  treason,  if,  indeed,  you  have  not 
already  trespassed  upon  perilous  ground.  Im- 
becility and  royalty  are  not  to  be  mentioned  in  the 
same  sentence.  Monsieur  de  Luynes  is  as  brave 
as  you  are,  and  so  you  will  find  if  you  ever  en- 
counter him  in  anger." 

"  Nothing  would  give  me  greater  pleasure." 

"Then  I  shall  see  that  you  are  given  an  early 
opportunity  of  meeting  him,  and  making  your 
words  good." 

"Again  I  say  nothing  would  give  me  greater 
pleasure,  and  I  shall  remind  you  of  your  promise, 
if  you  are  not  the  braggart  you  have  hinted  that 
I  am.  Indeed,  I  doubt  if  you  have  any  influence 
at  all  with  the  usurper  Luynes,  the  man  of  practi- 
cal jokes  and  insincere  letters." 

"  Ah,  you  haven't  forgotten  that  yet.  It  seems 
to  rankle.  But,  bless  you,  you  should  have  seen 
him  when  he  caused  to  be  congregated  in  the 
courtyard  some  thirty-five  men  who  held  similar 
letters  to  yours.  They  thought  he  was  about  to 
receive  them  in  audience,  but  he  merely  appeared 
at  the  grotesque  gathering  concealed  among  the 
curtains  of  one  of  the  windows,  and  laughed  until 
I  thought  his  sides  would  split.  The  King,  too, 
was  highly  amused  at  the  spectacle." 


THE    LETTER    THAT   WAS    A    JOKE    25 

Cardillac  gritted  his  teeth,  and  his  lips  com- 
pressed to  a  thin  line.  His  tormentor  was  watch- 
ing him  closely,  but  when  the  old  man  spoke  it 
was  in  the  suavest  accents  of  the  south. 

"  Pardon  me,"  he  said,  "  I  spoke  thoughtlessly. 
It  is  perhaps  the  case  that  you  were  one  of  the 
thirty-five?" 

"  Sir,  you  need  no  pardon.  The  honour  of 
providing  mirth  for  His  Majesty  and  the  favourite 
was  not  vouchsafed  to  me,  and,  truth  to  tell,  I  find 
it  difficult  to  credit  that  this  pair  should  be  so 
heartless;  therefore  I  fall  back  upon  my  first  sus- 
picion that  you  know  little  either  of  the  King  or 
Luynes." 

"  In  that  case,  sir,  I  must  present  to  you  proof 
of  their  confidence  in  me.  Know,  then,  that  I  was 
given  charge  of  the  Queen  Mother's  cavalcade 
from  Paris  to  Blois,  with  a  hundred  soldiers  under 
my  command." 

"Again  I  have  only  your  word  for  that,"  ob- 
jected the  unconvinced  Cardillac. 

The  other  raised  his  eyebrows,  and  spread  out 
his  hands  with  a  little  gesture  of  protest. 

"  I  thought  so  clever  a  young  man  as  you  would 
credit  me  because  the  truth  or  falsity  of  what  I 
have  stated  is  so  easily  ascertained.  The  caval- 
cade departed  from  Paris  on  the  last  day  of  April, 
in  the  most  open  manner,  and  practically  all  Paris 
was  there  to  see.  It  was  a  gala  occasion,  for  the 


26  CARDILLAC 

Queen  Mother  was  as  unpopular  as  her  favourite. 
My  name  is  Tresor.  If  you  make  enquiry,  all 
your  misgivings  will  be  dispelled,  for  there  are 
thousands  who  saw  me  riding  at  the  head  of  my. 
troop. 

"  But,  aside  from  this  public  mission,  Monsieur 
de  Luynes  entrusted  me  with  a  private  work  of 
some  delicacy,  which  was,  without  attracting  atten- 
tion, to  detach  from  the  Queen  Mother's  entourage 
the  only  capable  lady-in-waiting  she  possessed;  to 
deliver  her  to  the  care  of  the  strictest  convent  in 
France,  a  convent  worthily  presided  over  by  a  lady 
of  the  blood  royal,  and  to  overtake  the  procession 
before  my  absence  was  detected.  That  I  accom- 
plished successfully,  and  Monsieur  de  Luynes 
complimented  me  by  saying  I  was  the  only  person 
he  knew  who  could  have  done  so." 

"  And  what  was  the  object  of  immuring  a  young 
lady  in  the  cloisters?" 

"  The  object  was  two-fold.  Those  who  sur- 
round the  Queen  Mother  are  as  stupid  as  herself; 
all  of  them  are  frivolous,  most  of  them  are  beauti- 
ful, so  there  was  no  objection  on  the  part  of  Mon- 
sieur de  Luynes  that  these  butterfly  nonentities 
should  share  the  Queen's  exile,  if  you  choose  to 
call  it  so,  at  Blois.  The  young  woman  of  whom 
I  speak,  besides  being  beautiful,  is  capable,  and  if 
your  conjecture  that  the  Queen  Mother  is  a  pris- 
oner was  true,  you  will  easily  see  that  we  did  not 


THE    LETTER    THAT   WAS    A   JOKE    27 

wish  to  place  beside  her  one  with  ingenuity  enough 
to  help  her  to  escape.  The  second  reason  was  that 
this  girl's  father  appears  to  be  an  important  par- 
tisan of  the  Queen  Mother.  She  is  his  only 
daughter,  on  whom  he  very  foolishly  dotes,  which 
is  a  mistake  if  a  man  wishes  to  take  an  active  part 
in  French  politics.  Until  he  learns  the  fate  of  his 
daughter,  we  hold  him  helpless.  He  knows  she 
is  in  our  power,  so  he  pretends  affection  for  the 
new  regime,  and  dare  not  openly  take  part  with 
the  supporters  of  Marie  de  Medicis." 

"And  the  truth  of  this  latter  narrative  I  sup- 
pose I  may  learn  by  asking  all  Paris?" 

"  No,"  returned  the  old  man,  with  the  utmost 
suavity.  It  seemed  impossible  to  anger  him. 
"  No;  this,  as  I  told  you,  was  a  secret  mission,  but, 
if  you  have  the  courage  to  question  him,  I  shall 
indicate  to  you  a  man  who  can  authoritatively  cor- 
roborate my  statements." 

"Who  is  that  man?" 

"  His  name  is  Monsieur  Charles  d' Albert  de 
Luynes,  whom  you  have  expressed  a  desire  to 
meet  on  terms  of  hostility.  I  shall  be  pleased  to 
put  you  in  a  position  to  ask  your  questions  at  the 
point  of  the  sword,  if — my  former  proviso — \ 
you  have  the  courage." 

"When?" 

"  To-night,  at  half-past  ten  o'clock." 

"Where?" 


28  CARDILLAC 

"  If  I  am  permitted  to  preface  my  answer  by  a 
few  words  of  explanation,  you  will  then  compre- 
hend more  accurately  than  you  do  now  the  man- 
ner of  man  you  will  meet,  and  if  this  knowledge 
causes  you  to  avoid  the  encounter,  I,  for  one, 
should  be  the  last  to  dub  you  coward,  for  I  warn 
you  Monsieur  de  Luynes  is  probably  the  bravest 
man  in  Paris,  as  well  as  one  of  its  most  skilful 
swordsmen." 

"  Go  on,"  commented  Cardillac    shortly. 

"  Aside  from  this  bravery  and  skill,  which,  if, 
I  understand  rightly,  you  share  with  him,  he 
possesses  another  quality  which  you  hold  in  com- 
mon. He  is  deeply  distrustful  of  what  is  said 
to  him  by  any  except  his  immediate  friends  and 
confidants.  It  is,  therefore,  his  habit  to  learn 
for  himself,  at  first  hand,  what  the  ever-changing 
opinions  of  Paris  are  regarding  current  events, 
and  he  has,  therefore,  committed  himself  to  a 
practice  which  all  his  friends  who  know  of  it,  and 
they  are  few,  consider  highly  dangerous.  Have 
you  ever  met  Monsieur  de  Luynes?" 

"  Never." 

"  It  would  not  much  matter  if  you  had.  It  is 
doubtful  if  you  would  recognise  him  in  the  cir- 
cumstances at  which  I  hint,  for  he  disguises  him- 
self with  some  care.  In  one  disguise  or  another 
he  wanders  about  Paris  alone  at  night,  visiting 
taverns,  wine-shops,  cafes.  Consequently  no  one 


THE    LETTER    THAT   WAS    A   JOKE    29 

has  acquired  such  knowledge  as  Monsieur  de 
Luynes  of  the  capital  of  France.  Never  in  its 
history  has  Paris  been  so  quiet  as  since  my  master 
came  into  power,  and  this  tranquillity  is  not  under- 
stood, even  by  the  police.  But  in  whatever  quar- 
ter of  the  city  an  insurrection  is  brewing,  it  is 
discovered  that  troops  have  silently  taken  posses- 
sion of  the  street  before  the  hour  at  which  the 
outbreak  was  to  have  occurred,  and  more  than  one 
unfortunate  wretch  has  been  flung  into  the  Seine 
because  of  the  unjust  suspicion  that  he  has  be- 
trayed his  comrades.  You  are  of  good  family,  a 
southerner,  and  therefore  a  man  of  honour,  so  I 
trust  you  with  this  secret  in  the  utmost  security, 
knowing  you  will  not  betray  my  confidence.  Mon- 
sieur de  Luynes  is  as  merciful  as  he  is  expert  and 
brave  with  his  weapon,  so  I  know  I  am  not  sending 
you  to  your  death.  He  will  merely  run  you 
through  the  arm." 

Cardillac  squared  back  his  shoulders,  and  a 
smile  of  derision  curled  his  moustached  lip,  but  he 
said  nothing.  Tresor  took  no  notice,  but  con- 
tinued in  level  tones: 

"  If  you  examine  the  rear  of  these  premises 
you  will  find  that  a  narrow  lane  divides  the 
grounds  of  our  palace  from  the  backs  of  the 
opposite  houses.  Midway  up  the  lane  on  your 
left  is  a  door  in  the  wall.  At  half-past  ten  o'clock 
to-night  I  open  that  door,  step  out,  and  look  uj> 


SO  GARDILLAC 

and  down  the  lane.  If  the  way  Is  apparently 
clear,  Monsieur  de  Luynes  will  emerge  and  walk 
off  to  the  right.  There  are  numerous  back  en- 
trances on  the  right  hand  of  the  lane,  in  one  of 
which  you  may  conceal  yourself.  In  coming  up 
with  Monsieur  de  Luynes,  I  ask  you  not  to  accost 
him  if  there  is  anyone  in  sight.  I  advise  that  the 
conference  be  amicable,  but  if  you  are  determined 
to  receive  a  lesson  in  the  use  of  the  blade,  then 
encounter  him  in  fair  fight,  and  you  will  be  sat- 
isfied." 

"  Monsieur,  your  confidences  rather  astound 
me,  for  we  are  not  even  acquaintances." 

11  We  are  both  of  the  south,  nevertheless," 
replied  Monsieur  Tresor  ingratiatingly.  "  You 
fear  that  I  am  leading  you  into  a  trap  ?  " 

"  Sir,  I  fear  nothing." 

"  No;  fear  was  not  the  word  I  should  have  used. 
I  have  not  won  your  confidence  as  you  have  won 
mine.  You  apprehend,  then,  that  I  am  laying  a 
trap  for  you?  I  shall  not  protest,  because  that 
would  be  useless,  but  I  venture  to  point  out  that 
if  I  desired  your  harm,  I  have  but  to  give  the 
word,  and  cause  you  to  be  arrested  on  this  bench, 
or  when  you  leave  the  palace,  or  at  your  own 
lodgings,  and  you  would  disappear  instantly  from 
human  knowledge.  I  do  not  need  to  entrap  you, 
Monsieur  de  Cardillac,  for  you  are  now,  and 
have  been  ever  since  you  entered,  entirely  at  my 


THE    LETTER    THAT    WAS    A   JOKE     31 

mercy.  That,  of  itself,  should  quell  your  doubts. 
If  it  does  not,  then  do  not  attend  the  ren- 
dezvous." 

"  I  will  think  over  it,"  said  Cardillac,  as  he 
rose  from  the  bench. 

The  hall  was  now  deserted.  Cardillac  was  the 
last  man  out,  and  with  bowed  head,  pondering  on 
what  had  been  said  to  him,  he  wandered  to  the 
bridge,  and,  resting  his  arms  on  the  parapet,  gazed 
down  at  the  water,  until  the  late  darkness  of  a 
midsummer  night  obscured  his  surroundings. 
Hunger  would  have  tormented  him  had  he  allowed 
his  mind  to  dwell  upon  it,  but  the  rankling  insults 
of  the  supposedly  humorous  letter  obliterated  all 
thoughts  of  anything  else.  Aside  from  this,  there 
was  scant  use  of  his  dwelling  on  the  theme  of 
hunger,  because  there  was  not  a  coin  in  his  pocket 
with  which  to  satisfy  his  craving. 

Darker  and  darker  grew  the  summer  night, 
and  at  last  the  bells  of  Notre  Dame,  farther  up 
the  river,  tolled  the  hour  of  ten.  In  thirty  min- 
utes, if  what  Tresor  had  said  was  true,  this  low- 
born night-walker  would  issue  from  his  postern 
door,  and  Cardillac  wished  a  word  or  two  in 
private  with  the  perambulating  humourist.  The 
young  man  drew  himself  up,  and  turned  towards 
the  direction  of  the  palace. 

"  I  shall  run  my  blade  through  his  jocular 
heart,"  he  muttered. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE     ENCOUNTER    IN     THE     DARK 

CARDILLAC,  alertly  on  his  guard,  walked 
cautiously  the  length  of  the  lane  and  sat- 
isfied himself  that  no  one  else  was  lurk- 
ing within  its  limits.  He  scrutinised  the  one  door 
on  the  left-hand  side  that  led  to  the  palace 
grounds,  and  also  examined  with  ^care  the  half- 
dozen  or  more  entrances  that  communicated 
with  the  smaller  houses  ranged  along  the  right- 
hand  side.  The  alley  was  not  as  dark  as  he  had 
expected,  for  the  numerous  lights  in  the  upper 
stories  of  the  rear  of  the  palace  threw  a  dim 
radiance  upon  the  uneven  cobble-stones  that  paved 
the  farther  side  of  the  narrow  thoroughfare,  which 
in  some  measure  mitigated  the  obscurity  of  that 
portion  of  the  lane  which  ran  along  the  foot  of  the 
palace  wall. 

Into  the  embrasure  formed  by  one  of  the  re- 
cessed doorways  on  the  right-hand  side  Cardillac 
felt  his  way  with  noiseless  care.  Silently  he  tried 
the  door  itself,  but  found  it  barred  or  locked.  He 
now  placed  his  back  against  it,  assured  that  if  any 


THE   ENCOUNTER    IN    THE    DARK       S3 

treachery  were  intended,  the  door  could  not  be 
opened  suddenly  without  his  shoulders  giving  him 
some  hint  of  the  unfastening  within.  Stealthily 
he  drew  his  sword  from  its  scabbard,  placing  the 
latter  under  his  left  arm,  holding  the  blade  in  a 
horizontal  position  ready  for  instant  attack  or 
defence.  In  the  gloom  of  his  ambush,  he  was 
invisible  to  any  passer-by,  yet  his  eyes,  now  ac- 
customed to  the  murk,  could  see  the  postern  door 
dimly  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  way.  His  only 
danger,  as  he  fancied,  was  that  some  person  with 
a  key  might  attempt  to  enter  from  the  lane  the 
house  at  his  back,  and  the  young  man  smiled 
grimly  as  he  thought  of  that  person's  astonish- 
ment as  he  met  the  point  of  a  sword. 

The  stillness  was  complete;  all  Paris  seemed 
to  be  asleep,  and  one  by  one  the  lights  in  the 
upper  stories  of  the  great  building  opposite  him 
were  going  out.  He  stood  there  rigid,  scarcely 
venturing  to  breathe  deeply,  and  in  his  suspense 
it  appeared  that  time  had  stopped,  or  else  the 
guardians  of  it  in  the  various  church  steeples  had 
forgotten  to  mark  its  passing  by  the  ringing  of 
their  bells. 

Finally,  however,  the  half-hour  struck,  and 
promptly  to  the  moment  the  postern  gate  opened. 
The  watcher  recognised  Tresor  as  he  stepped 
across  the  threshold,  looking  up  and  down  the 
lane.  The  old  man  made  a  slight  motion  with 


34  CARDILLAC 

one  hand,  and  Cardillac  distinctly  heard  him  whis- 
per: 

"  Sir,  the  way  is  clear." 

A  cloaked  figure  stepped  out  into  the  lane. 

"  God  be  with  you  I "  ejaculated  the  pious 
Tresor,  in  accents  of  the  deepest  respect. 

The  man  in  the  cloak  made  no  answer  to  the 
well-wishing  so  fervently  expressed,  but  keeping 
close  to  the  wall,  surrounded  by  its  shadow,  he 
moved  off  in  the  direction  from  which  Cardillac 
had  entered  the  lane. 

This  impatient  young  man  emerged  from  under 
the  porch,  stepped  across  into  the  shadow,  and 
followed  swiftly  but  cautiously.  Tresor  had  with- 
drawn into  the  grounds  of  the  palace;  the  door 
was  closed,  but  the  old  man  put  his  eye  to  the 
little  wicket  in  the  panel,  and  if  Cardillac  could 
have  seen  his  face,  he  must  have  noticed  that 
humble  and  ingratiating  smile  with  which  the  man 
of  Avignon  had  so  often  illumined  his  unimpas- 
sioned  conversation  of  that  afternoon. 

Too  intent  on  following  the  movements  of  his 
quarry  to  care  who  smiled  and  who  did  not,  Car- 
dillac kept  the  cloak  in  sight.  It  led  him  through 
devious  and  deserted  ways,  hitherto  unknown  to 
him.  The  man  in  front  was  evidently  determined 
to  avoid  all  public  thoroughfares,  preferring  to 
run  the  risk  of  encounters  with  dangerous  maraud- 
ers who  might  be  prowling  about  these  dark,  un- 


THE    ENCOUNTER    IN    THE    DARK       35 

popular  thoroughfares.  Cardillac  still  carried  his 
scabbard  under  his  arm,  so  that  it  could  not  clatter 
upon  the  cobble-stones  and  give  warning  to  the 
pedestrian  in  advance.  It  was  evident  that  the 
latter  was  doing  the  same,  or,  a  most  unlikely 
supposition,  was  unarmed,  for  he  traversed  the 
deserted  streets  with  the  silence  of  a  ghost.  Seeing 
the  way  in  front  broaden  somewhat  at  a  place 
where  a  lamp  hanging  from  an  ornamental 
wrought-iron  bracket  fixed  to  the  wall  formed  an 
oasis  of  light  in  a  desert  of  darkness,  Cardillac 
strode  rapidly  forward,  and  overtook  the  pursued 
directly  under  the  lamp,  which  cast  its  rays  im- 
partially on  each  of  them. 

"Son  of  a  corn-chandler!"  he  cried.  "Low- 
born scion  of  an  ignoble  racel  I  would  bestow  a 
favour  upon  you.  Although  a  sword  in  the  hand 
of  a  king  may  confer  nobility  on  even  the  vilest, 
yet  this  blade  in  the  hands  of  a  gentleman,  when 
run  through  your  body,  will  give  you  a  better 
death  than  your  origin  deserves.  Do  not  thank 
me,  sir,  but  stand  on  guard !  " 

This  speech,  which  Cardillac  had  spent  the 
evening  in  composing,  proved  too  long  for  the 
occasion.  It  rolled  from  his  tongue  with  all  the 
fluency  of  his  eloquent  Gascony,  but  his  antag- 
onist answered  not  a  word.  The  stranger  turned 
to  the  right-about-face  with  the  celerity  of  a  sol- 
dier at  the  word  of  command.  His  sword  was 


36  CARDILLAC 

in  his  right  hand,  and  his  sheath  fell  with  a 
metallic  clank  upon  the  stones.  Without  a  sound 
he  immediately  thrust  forth  with  the  venom  of  a 
viper. 

The  young  man  was  taken  completely  by  sur- 
prise. He  had  struck  a  pose  picturesque  to  be- 
hold, had  there  been  any  onlookers — a  pose  well 
suited  to  the  words  he  employed;  but  to  avoid 
that  vivid  thrust  he  was  compelled  to  abandon 
this  attitude  with  such  haste  that  legs  and  scab- 
bard became  intermixed,  and  he  fell  backwards 
just  in  time  to  escape  being  impaled  through  the 
breast. 

Nimble  as  a  wildcat,  Cardillac  scrambled  to 
hands  and  knees,  unhooking  as  he  did  so  the  scab- 
bard from  his  belt,  and  flinging  it  clattering  be- 
hind him  on  the  stones.  Erect  once  more,  he  tore 
the  throat  fastenings  from  his  cloak,  and  allowed 
it  to  drop  from  him.  Then  he  felt  the  red-hot 
sting  of  a  gigantic  wasp  in  his  left  arm  between 
the  shoulder  and  the  elbow.  The  second  on- 
slaught of  his  adversary  had  not  proved  so  futile 
as  the  first. 

"Fentre  Saint  Gris!"  cried  the  young  man, 
once  more  springing  back  as  the  other  pressed 
him.  "You've  done  just  what  Tresor  said  you- 
would." 

This  remark  seemed  to  increase  his  enemy's 
fury,  but  Cardillac's  legs  were  now  firmly  sur> 


THE    ENCOUNTER    IN    THE    DARK       87 

porting  his  lithe  body,  unencumbered  with  cloak 
or  scabbard,  and  the  third  angry  lunge  was  easily 
parried. 

"Stand  back,"  he  cried  joyfully,  "until  I  get 
the  light  in  your  face.  I  am  going  to  reoccupy 
the  ground  I  so  hastily  abandoned.  Back,  I  say! 
Give  way !  "  and  as  the  other  did  not,  he  pricked 
him  in  the  shoulder. 

The  man,  who  had  not  spoken  since  the  en- 
counter began,  retreated  a  step. 

"Another,  if  you  please,"  demanded  Cardillac, 
somewhat  breathlessly,  but  with  politeness. 

That  which  the  man  with  his  back  to  the  light 
refused  to  do  voluntarily  he,  for  the  second  time, 
did  under  compulsion.  Another  prick  of  the 
sword  point,  which  made  him  wince,  caused  him 
to  take  the  step  backward  that  had  been  required 
of  him.  Cardillac  was  playing  with  him,  and 
seemed  determined  to  convince  his  victim  of  the 
contest's  hopelessness  ere  he  brought  it  to  a  ter- 
mination. 

"  I  beg  of  you,  sir,  to  favour  me  by  taking  a 
third  step  to  the  rear,"  panted  the  young  man. 
"  You  must  admit  that  my  proposal  is  quite  a  fair 
one,  which  is  to  distribute  the  light  above  us  into 
two  equal  shares.  Your  face  is  still  covered  with 
darkness,  while  mine  is  in  plain  sight.  I  am  con- 
vinced that  another  retreating  step  will  give  me 
the  equality  which  I  lost  when  you  treacherously. 


38  CARDILLAC 

set  upon  me  after  I  gave  you  the  warning  to  be 
on  guard." 

For  the  first  time  the  defeated  man  spoke. 

"You  talk  of  treachery,  you  dog,  and  servant 
of  a  dog !  "  he  gasped,  and  bitter  as  were  his 
words,  his  voice  showed  him  to  be  approaching 
the  last  stages  of  exhaustion. 

u  Your  language,  sir,  betrays  your  humble 
origin,  but  I  will  not  cavil  at  it.  The  immediate 
point  at  issue  between  us  is  the  third  step  back- 
wards. Take  it,  I  beg  of  you,  otherwise  it  is 
your  throat  you  must  guard;  and  remember  that 
an  incision  there  is  a  much  more  delicate  operation 
than  a  touch  on  either  shoulder." 

"Stop!  A  parley;  a  parley!  I  wish  a  word 
with  you,  sir! " 

"  Not  so !  "  cried  Cardillac.  "  A  parley  is  all 
to  my  disadvantage,  as  well  you  know.  The 
watch  may  interrupt  us  at  any  moment.  Besides, 
you  did  me  the  honour  to  run  me  through  the 
arm,  and  my  sleeve  is  filled  with  blood.  I  have, 
therefore,  on  two  counts  not  a  moment  to  spare; 
to  keep  my  promise  to  you,  and  run  my  blade 
through  your  treacherous  heart." 

"  For  the  second  time  you  speak  of  treachery. 
You  are  a  cut-throat,  or  a  cut-purse,  which  ?  " 

"  Neither,  sir,  but  a  more  honourable  adversary 
than  you  deserve.  I  implore  you,  sir,  to  compli- 
ment me  by  defending  yourself  with  greater  skill 


THE    ENCOUNTER    IN    THE    DARK       39 

than  you  are  doing.  You  seem  determined  to 
put  upon  me  the  taint  of  assassin  that  hangs  over 
you.  You  are  as  helpless,  sir,  as  if  you  were 
unarmed.  I  do  not  wish  to  kill  you  as  you  killed 
Concini." 

As  he  spoke,  the  other's  sword  dropped  ringing 
to  the  cobble-stones.  The  man  spread  out  his 
empty  arms. 

"  I  do  not  understand  your  language,  sir,  but 
finish  your  work  as  quickly  as  you  please,  and  get 
back  for  your  hire.  Allow  me  one  offer,  how- 
ever, that  may  reach  your  covetous  or  necessitous 
soul.  I  will  take  your  own  word  for  the  amount, 
and  pay  you  within  half  an  hour  double  the  sum 
that  Luynes  gives  you  for  my  murder.  Further- 
more, within  the  half  hour  I  shall  supply  you  with 
one  of  the  fastest  horses  in  France.  It  is  not  yet 
midnight,  and  before  daybreak  you  will  have  out- 
distanced all  possible  pursuers,  and  be  free  from 
the  vengeance  of  Luynes.  Once  beyond  Loches 
you  are  safe,  if  you  take  to  the  west. 

"  I  do  not  underestimate  the  service  I  ask  of 
you,  nor  the  danger  to  which  you  would  be  com- 
mitting yourself  if  you  accept  my  offer;  there- 
fore double,  treble  or  quadruple  the  sum  I  will 
pay  you.  Of  course  you  make  an  enemy  of 
Luynes,  that  treacherous  hound,  who  dare  not 
face  his  foes,  but  must  use  the  musket  or  the  blade 
of  an  assassin.  But  if  you  join  the  ranks  of  his 


40  CARDILLAC 

enemies,  I  will  give  you  letters  to  Epernon  in 
Loches.  You  must  keep  to  the  north  side  of  the 
Loire,  make  a  wide  circuit  around  Blois,  cross 
the  river  between  there  and  Tours,  for  in  either 
town  Luynes  is  strong;  but  once  the  river  is 
crossed,  make  direct  for  Loches,  and  you  are 
safe." 

During  this  appeal,  which  was  jerked  forth  in 
detached  phrases,  as  if  the  speaker's  breath  were 
well-nigh  exhausted,  the  unarmed  man  stepped 
back  two  paces,  and  the  light  fell  on  his  face.  It 
showed  Cardillac  the  pallid,  haggard  countenance 
of  one  at  least  fifty  years  of  age.  No  disguise 
that  a  young  man  could  have  used  was  sufficiently 
subtle  to  simulate  the  expression  of  age,  fatigue 
and  anxiety  that  met  the  Gascon's  gaze,  as  he 
stood  there  with  sword  lowered  until  its  point 
touched  the  ground. 

"There  is  a  mistake  here,"  he  cried,  "and 
treachery  to  us  both,  as  I  surmise.  I  am  no 
assassin,  nor  the  tool  of  an  assassin,  unless  it  be 
unconsciously.  My  name  is  Cardillac  of  Gascony. 
Whom  have  I  been  fighting?" 

"  I  am  the  Duke  de  Montreuil." 

"  But  you  came  from  the  palace  of  Luynes 
at  half-past  ten  to-night.  Tresor  saw  you  out  by 
the  postern  door,  and  he  blessed  you  with  his 
benediction." 


THE   ENCOUNTER   IN    THE    DARK       41 

"That  is  true.  Luynes  has  done  me  a  foul 
wrong.  He  has  placed  me  in  a  position  out  of 
which  I  seem  unable  to  extricate  myself.  My  ap- 
pointment with  him  to-night  was  for  the  purpose 
of  making  terms  with  him,  but  his  conditions  are 
such  that  I  could  not  accept  them.  The  emissary 
of  Luynes  assured  me  safe  conduct  if  I  came 
in  secret,  unattended,  entering  and  leaving  by  the 
back  door.  When  you  accosted  and  attacked  me, 
I  did  him  and  you  the  injustice  of  thinking  the 
encounter  a  planned  assassination." 

"  I  am  not  so  sure  that  you  are  wrong,"  re- 
turned Cardillac,  who  had  unfastened  the  cuff 
of  his  left  sleeve,  and,  with  a  motion  of  the  arm 
that  caused  him  to  grimace  with  pain,  scattered  the 
blood  in  crimson  drops  upon  the  pavement. 
"Tresor  told  me  this  afternoon  that  Luynes 
would  leave  the  postern  gate  alone  at  half-past 
ten.  He  knew  that  the  Dictator  had  insulted  me, 
and  that  I  desired  nothing  on  earth  so  much  as  to 
meet  him  sword  in  hand.  He  made  this  meeting 
inevitable  by  assuring  me,  with  that  crafty  smile 
of  his,  that  Luynes  would  spare  my  life  by 
running  me  through  the  arm.  I  have  proved 
myself  but  a  country  imbecile  in  the  hands  of  such 
a  knave." 

Cardillac  staggered    a    little    from   weakness 
caused  by  hunger  and  loss  of  blood. 


42  CARDILLAC 

'You  must  come  with  me.  It  is  but  a  step 
now  to  my  house.  My  physician  will  attend  to 
your  wound." 

"No,  no,  'tis  but  a  scratch." 

"  I  think,"  said  the  duke,  "  that  my  sword 
passed  through  your  arm." 

"  It  is  nothing,  I  assure  you.  You  merely 
proved  yourself  a  rough  surgeon,  my  lord,  and 
your  diagnosis  was  right.  I  needed  a  little  blood- 
letting. 'Twill  do  me  good.  All  that  remains 
is  for  me  to  beg  your  pardon,  and  take  myself 
off  to  my  lodgings.  I  hope  to  make  sure  of 
Monsieur  de  Luynes  on  the  next  occasion." 

The  nobleman  thought  his  mind  and  body  were 
beginning  to  wander,  and  that  the  young  man  was 
losing  his  grip  on  each. 

"What  are  you  looking  for?"  he  asked,  ap- 
proaching him. 

"  My  scabbard.  I  thought  I  had  set  it  down 
here  somewhere." 

1  'Tis  there  behind  you,  also  your  cloak." 

The  duke  picked  up  his  own  discarded  sword, 
and  watched  the  young  fellow  narrowly,  proffer- 
ing no  assistance.  He  was  evidently  still  far  from 
sure  of  him. 

Cardillac  attempted  to  secure  his  scabbard,  but, 
stooping,  fell  forward  on  one  knee.  With  a  slight 
laugh,  he  made  the  pretence  that  this  attitude 
was  intended,  as,  with  uncertain  hand,  and  a  large 


THE   ENCOUNTER   IN    THE    DARK       43 

consumption  of  time,  he  hooked  the  scabbard  to 
the  belt.  Without  getting  up,  he  reached  for  his 
cloak,  then,  with  a  sigh,  rolled  over  upon  it,  and 
lay  there. 

The  duke  strode  forward,  and  knelt  by  the  side 
of  the  unconscious  man.  The  hanging  lamp  shone 
down  upon  a  youthful  face  of  ghastly  pallor;  the 
parted  lips  were  blue,  the  teeth  clenched  as  if  in 
agony  when  oblivion  overtook  him.  His  lord- 
ship brought  forth  a  small  flask,  but,  before 
attempting  to  administer  the  stimulant,  became 
aware  of  a  sound  that  startled  him. 

He  sprang  once  more  to  his  feet,  concealed  the 
flask,  and  listened.  Up  the  narrow  lane  came  the 
measured  tramp  of  men.  He  turned  as  if  to 
leave  Cardillac  to  his  fate — to  the  fate  brought 
on  by  his  own  hot-blooded  impetuosity ;  but  march- 
ing men  were  coming  down  from  the  other  end 
of  the  lane  also,  the  two  parties  converging  upon 
him.  There  flashed  upon  the  nobleman's  mind 
the  King's  recent  edict  against  duels. 

" Mille  diables!  Trapped,  as  I  am  a  sinner!'* 
muttered  the  duke.  "  Luynes  has  laid  his  plans 
well.  If  one  treachery  failed,  the  next  was  to 
succeed." 

He  wiped  his  red  blade  on  the  fallen  man's 
cloak,  thrust  the  sword  into  its  sheath,  and  stood 
there  awaiting  the  meeting  of  the  two  companies. 

"  I  arrest  you  in  the  King's  name !  "  cried  the 


44  CARDILLAC 

approaching  officer  loudly.     "Attempt  no  resist- 
ance." 

There  were  a  dozen  uniformed  men  in  each 
squad.  They  came  to  a  simultaneous  halt,  leav- 
ing between  them  a  lamp-lit  square  of  cobbled 
pavement,  in  the  centre  of  which  one  man  lay 
prone  and  bleeding,  while  the  other  stood  beside 
him. 


CHAPTER  III 

AN    INVITATION    AT    MIDNIGHT 

I  AM  the  Duke  de  Montreuil,"  sternly  an- 
nounced the  standing  man.  "  I  can  be 
arrested  only  on  a  warrant  signed  by  His 
Majesty  the  King,  and  if  such  an  instrument  were 
extant,  which  I  refuse  to  believe,  it  would  not  be 
placed  in  the  hands  of  a  sergeant  of  police  for 
execution." 

The  sergeant  knew  enough  of  the  law  to  be 
aware  that  the  duke  spoke  the  truth.  His  net  had 
enclosed  a  bigger  fish  than  he  had  expected.  The 
Duke  of  Montreuil's  face  and  form  were  quite 
familiar  to  any  denizen  of  Paris,  and  only  a 
stranger  like  Cardillac,  who  came  from  a  remote 
corner  of  France,  could  have  been  ignorant  of  the 
nobleman's  identity  when  confronting  him.  The 
sergeant  now  recognised  the  duke,  and  he  spoke 
with  a  cringing  deference  in  marked  contrast  with 
his  proclamation  of  arrest. 

"  My  lord  duke,  what  you  say  concerning  your 
privilege  is  true;  nevertheless,  the  incident  that 
has  occurred  here  is  in  direct  contravention  of  the 

45 


46  CARDILLAC 

very  precise  edict  of  the  King  himself,  and  there- 
fore amounts  to  high  treason,  which  crime  dis- 
solves all  privilege,  save  only  that  pertaining  to 
the  royal  family  itself.  Who  killed  this  man?  " 

"  Officer,  although  you  argue  like  an  advocate, 
you  jump  at  a  hasty  conclusion.  The  youth,  so 
far  as  I  am  able  to  judge  on  brief  and  badly 
illuminated  examination,  is  not  dead,  or  even 
grievously  wounded.  There  appears  to  be  a 
scratch  on  the  throat,  and  a  sword  wound  through 
the  arm.  I  judge  him  to  have  fainted  from  loss 
of  blood,  and  what  we  need  here  is  a  surgeon,  and 
not  a  sergeant.  You  are  ill  advised  in  assuming 
a  duel.  The  truth  is  your  streets  are  badly  pro- 
tected, and  doubtless  this  unfortunate  young  man 
has  been  set  upon  by  footpads;  probably  robbed. 
I  think  that  all  who  know  me  in  Paris,  these  many 
years,  need  not  be  told  that,  if  I  fought  a  duel, 
'twould  be  in  some  more  secluded  spot,  and  during 
a  properly  lighted  hour  of  the  twenty-four.  The; 
accusation  at  which  you  hint,  officer,  is  absurd,  so 
far  as  it  impinges  upon  me." 

The  officer  presented  a  picture  of  bewilderment. 
His  lordship  had  spoken  with  a  quiet  indifference 
that  was  singularly  effective;  yet  there  lay  the 
man,  wounded  or  dead,  and  the  instructions  which 
the  officer  had  received  from  the  Dictator's  head- 
quarters had  informed  him  that  he  would  come 
upon  just  such  a  scene  at  almost  precisely  the  mo- 


AN   INVITATION   AT   MIDNIGHT       47 

ment  he  arrived,  in  one  or  other  of  four  lanes 
leading  from  the  Dictator's  house. 

He  had  been  told  that  he  would  see,  entering 
these  lanes,  one  man  followed  by  another.  He 
was  not  to  interfere,  even  if  he  heard  the  sound 
of  conflict,  until  the  affray  was  over.  Then  he 
was  to  arrest  the  survivor,  or  both,  if  neither  were 
killed,  and  was  to  collect  evidence  as  to  whether 
what  had  happened  was  a  duel  or  an  assassina- 
tion. Apparently  his  superiors  were  in  doubt  as 
to  the  intentions  of  the  two  men  under  surveil- 
lance, and  here,  to  his  astonishment,  he  found 
that  one  of  them  was  a  noble  of  France,  who  but 
a  few  months  before  had  been  more  powerful 
than  any  other,  saving  only  the  Queen  Mother  and 
her  favourite,  Concini.  He  was  shrewd  enough 
to  know,  also,  that  to-morrow  this  man  might  be 
in  power  again.  Events  followed  one  another 
rapidly  in  France. 

"  My  lord  duke,  you  entered  this  lane  a  few 
minutes  ago,  and  the  man  lying  there  .was  pur- 
suing you." 

"  If  he  pursued  me,  I  am  not  aware  of  it.  I 
was  proceeding  peaceably  home  after  a  private 
conference  with  Charles  d' Albert  de  Luynes,  in 
his  own  house,  at  his  own  invitation." 

"  But,  my  lord,  since  you  entered  this  lane  no 
one  has  emerged  from  it  at  either  end.  How, 
then,  came  this  man  wounded?" 


48  CARDILLAC 

The  duke  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  Really,  sergeant,  I  have  not  the  honour  to 
belong  to  the  detective  force  of  the  police.  If 
you  wish  to  find  the  culprit,  I  would  suggest  that 
you  search  the  houses  on  either  side.  They  are 
numerous  enough  and  sinister  enough  to  harbour 
a  thousand  criminals.  A  cut-throat  thief  of  this 
locality  does  not  need  to  emerge  from  either  end 
of  the  lane.  I  make  the  further  suggestion  that, 
instead  of  standing  talking  foolishly  there,  you 
should  get  help  for  this  man.  He  may,  indeed, 
be  dying  on  your  hands,  and,  by  the  way,  do  you 
propose  to  attempt  my  arrest?" 

"  No,  my  lord  duke,  but  I  must  take  the  victim 
into  custody,  and  report  the  fact  that  I  found 
your  lordship  with  him." 

Cardillac  opened  his  eyes,  and  with  an  effort 
reached  a  sitting  posture.  The  duke  once  more 
pulled  forth  the  flask  of  brandy,  eager  to  stop 
the  young  man's  mouth  until  he  could  give  him 
some  hint  of  the  critical  situation. 

"  Here,  my  poor  fellow,  drink  this.  You  have 
been  set  on  and  wounded,  I  take  it,  by  some  foot- 
pads. Have  they  robbed  you?" 

"  My  pockets  are  empty,"  said  Cardillac, 
promptly  feeling  with  his  right  hand  in  one,  while 
the  duke  held  the  flask  to  his  lips. 

"  You  see,"  said  the  nobleman,  "  what  happened 
is  exactly  as  I  surmised.  This  unhappy  youth  has 


AN    INVITATION    AT    MIDNIGHT        49 

been  maltreated  and  robbed,  and,  for  all  I  know,  he 
may  be  a  friend  of  Monsieur  de  Luynes  himself." 

Cardillac,  assisted  to  his  feet  by  the  duke  and 
the  sergeant,  wincing  when  the  latter  caught  too 
roughly  his  wounded  arm,  looked  about  him  at 
the  silent  assembly  of  men. 

"  You  seem  to  have  arrived,  officer,  with 
plenty  of  assistance,  but  I  wish  you  had  been  fewer 
in  number  and  more  prompt  in  appearing." 

"  Who  are  you,  sir?  "  demanded  the  sergeant. 

Cardillac  was  quick-witted  enough  in  ordinary 
circumstances,  although  he  had  shown  heretofore 
but  little  of  that  quality.  He  noted,  nevertheless, 
the  duke's  emphasis  on  the  suggestion  that  he  was 
a  friend  of  Luynes,  and  now  knew  enough  of 
the  character  of  the  Dictator  to  realise  that  he 
must  proceed  with  extreme  caution  if  he  was  to 
circumvent  him. 

"I  am  called  Victor  de  Cardillac,  from  Gas- 
cony;  a  stranger  here  in  Paris,  whither  I  have 
come  on  the  personal  invitation  of  my  friend, 
Charles  d'Albert  de  Luynes." 

"The  deuce  you  say!"  gasped  the  astonished 
officer,  who  found  himself  becoming  more  and 
more  involved  with  those  whom  he  feared  it  was 
safer  to  leave  alone.  "  If,  as  you  state,  you  are 
a  friend  of  the  chief  minister,  I  hope  you  will  ac- 
company me  to  his  presence,  and  testify,  perhaps, 
that  I  have  treated  you  with  courtesy." 


50  CARDILLAC 

"  I'm  willing  to  do  that,"  agreed  Cardillac,  but 
the  duke  interposed. 

"  Nonsense,  sergeant,  nonsense !  This  young 
man  is  in  no  condition  to  meet  anyone  but  a  doc- 
tor, and  Monsieur  de  Luynes  will  not  thank  you 
for  disturbing  him  at  this  hour  of  night  merely  to 
convince  him  that  you  are  an  egregious  blunderer. 
Doubtless  the  duel  you  are  looking  for  has  been 
taking  place  while  you  have  been  wasting  time 
here.  My  word  should  have  been  sufficient,  I 
think." 

"  Pardon  me,  my  lord  duke,  but  you  said  your- 
self that  you  knew  nothing  of  this  young  man." 

"  Neither  I  do.  I  never  met  him  before  in  my 
life,  but  I  know  the  family  of  Cardillac  in  Gas- 
cony  to  be  one  of  ancient  and  honourable  rank, 
and  if  the  word  of  a  scion  of  that  house  is  suffi- 
cient for  me,  it  ought  to  be  accepted  by  you ;  if  it 
is  not,  you  must  be  prepared  to  take  the  con- 
sequences when  you  meet  my  friend  Charles 
d' Albert  de  Luynes,  with  whom,  as  I  have  told 
you,  I  spent  the  evening." 

"  My  instructions  were  very  definite,  my  lord 
duke,  and  I  confess  myself  in  a  quandary.  The 
family  of  Cardillac  may  be  of  the  best,  as  you 
say,  but  as  you  are  not  personally  acquainted  with 
this  young  man,  you  cannot  vouch  that  he  bears 
any  relationship  to  it." 

"  If  I  have  not  been  robbed  of  my  papers  as 


AN    INVITATION    AT    MIDNIGHT       51 

well  as  my  purse,"  said  Cardillac  mildly,  "  I  can 
soon  resolve  your  doubt.  Kindly  search  inside  my 
doublet.  My  arm  seems  stiff  and  unwieldy.  You 
will  find  there  documents  that  prove  my  identity, 
and  also  the  letter  of  invitation  from  Monsieur 
de  Luynes  himself.  I  hope  you  know  his  hand- 
writing." 

The  sergeant,  with  many  apologies  that  the 
search  was  not  a  legal  one,  but  carried  out  in  ful- 
filment of  Cardillac's  own  desire,  came  upon  the 
papers,  and  read  the  letter  of  Luynes,  which 
had  been  written  on  the  official  stationery  of  the 
King's  palace. 

DEAR  MONSIEUR  DE  CARDILLAC: 

Paris,  by  all  means.  It  is  a  delightful  city,  where  young  men 
enjoy  themselves,  and  become  rich.  I  long  to  embrace  the 
founder  of  my  fortune.  LUYNES. 

Cardillac  laughed  as  the  sergeant  read  this 
letter. 

"  My  experiences  of  to-night,"  he  said,  "  do  not 
bear  out  the  statement  of  your  master.  I  have 
found  Paris  anything  but  a  delightful  city,  and 
so  far  from  becoming  rich,  I  stand  at  this  mo- 
ment penniless." 

The  sergeant  was  now  profound  and  profuse  in 
his  apologies  both  to  the  duke  and  to  the  young 
stranger. 

"  I  deeply  regret  what  has  happened,"  he  said, 


52  CARDILLAC 

"  and  shall  make  no  attempt  to  detain  you  a  mo- 
ment longer.  I  hope  my  lord  duke,  and  you, 
Monsieur  de  Cardillac,  will  testify  that  I  have 
endeavoured  to  carry  out  my  disagreeable  duty  as 
courteously  as  possible,  and  did  not  persist  after 
I  was  satisfied  of  this  young  man's  identity.  I 
shall  now  withdraw  my  men,  and  you  may  proceed 
on  your  way  unmolested.  I  sincerely  regret  hav- 
ing interrupted  your  progress,  my  lord  duke." 

"  You  may  dismiss  your  men  if  you  like,  ser- 
geant, but  you  yourself  must  accompany  me  to 
my  house.  Take  with  you  whatever  body-guard 
you  deem  sufficient  to  see  us  home  in  safety.  I 
shall  write  a  letter  to  Monsieur  de  Luynes,  which 
will  be  entrusted  to  your  care,  sergeant.  In  that 
letter  I  shall  explain  that  you  have  done  your  duty 
with  vigilance,  and  you  will  find  that  no  complaint 
has  been  lodged  by  me.  In  this  I  am  sure  Mon- 
sieur de  Cardillac  will  join  me." 

The  young  man  bowed  an  affirmative. 

"The  inconvenience  to  me  has  been  trivial,  but 
Monsieur  de  Cardillac's  wound  is  a  serious  matter 
which  deserves  the  attention  of  the  authorities. 
As  I  said  a  short  time  since,  I  am  certain  a  man 
so  busy  as  Monsieur  de  Luynes  will  not  thank  you 
for  arousing  him  at  this  hour  of  the  night,  so  you 
may  present  my  letter  not  later  than  an  hour  before 
audience  time  to-morrow.  You  may  tell  Mon- 
sieur de  Luynes,  or  perhaps  I  had  better  slate  it 


AN   INVITATION   AT   MIDNIGHT       53 

In  the  letter,  that  Monsieur  de  Cardillac  and  my- 
self will — if,  indeed,  Monsieur  is  able  to  be  abroad 
— call  upon  him  at  the  same  hour  to-morrow  night 
as  I  have  visited  him  this  evening,  and  I  trust  that 
by  that  time,  sergeant,  you  will  have  some  satis- 
factory explanation  to  offer  for  the  cruel  attack 
which  has  been  made  upon  Monsieur  de  Cardil- 
lac." 

At  this  the  officer  bowed  low.  He  selected  four 
men  from  the  ranks  of  his  company,  and  dis- 
missed the  rest  under  charge  of  a  subordinate. 
Thus  escorted,  the  duke  and  Cardillac  reached 
the  palace  of  the  former  at  a  quarter  before  mid- 
night. 


CHAPTER  IV 

REFRESHMENTS    AND    AFFAIRS 

THE  palace  of  the  Duke  de  Montreuil 
proved  to  be  one  of  those  massive  build- 
ings, half  fortress,  half  residence,  without 
any  claims  to  the  architectural  beauty  the  four- 
teenth century  gave  to  certain  quarters  of  Paris. 
It  was  built  round  a  spacious  courtyard,  the  arched 
entrance  to  which  was  protected  by  ponderous, 
well-nigh  impregnable  gates.  Although  the  duke 
was  deprived  of  his  political  power,  he  neverthe- 
less relinquished  nothing  of  that  state  which  had 
surrounded  him  as  a  minister  and  great  noble  of 
the  realm. 

Late  as  was  the  hour,  the  number  of  retainers 
afoot  surpassed  that  of  Luynes  himself  even 
during  his  hours  of  public  reception.  As  the  mas- 
ter, with  his  following,  approached  and  was  rec- 
ognised, it  seemed  to  the  sensitive  Cardillac  that  a 
subtle  sense  of  relief  electrified  those  who  were 
awaiting  his  return.  The  period,  quiet  as  it  ap- 
peared on  the  surface,  possessed,  nevertheless, 
the  ominous  tranquillity  of  a  storm-cloud  which, 
on  a  calm  and  sultry  day,  gradually  overspreads 

54 


REFRESHMENTS    AND   AFFAIRS         55 

the  sky.  No  man  knew  when  the  lightning 
would  flash  forth,  or  whom  it  would  strike  when 
it  descended. 

As  the  party  entered  the  courtyard,  the  great 
gates  behind  it  clanged  menacingly  shut,  and  even 
the  sergeant  glanced  apprehensively  over  his 
shoulder  as  he  heard  the  sound  which  echoed  from 
the  four  strong  walls  around  him.  The  duke  led 
Cardillac  and  the  officer  into  a  large,  well-lighted 
room  on  the  ground  floor,  plainly  furnished  in  a 
manner  that  gave  it  the  aspect  of  a  business  office. 
The  four  men  of  the  sergeant's  guard  remained 
outside. 

Once  within  the  courtyard,  with  closed  gates,  a 
curt  command  from  his  lordship  sent  the  servants 
scurrying  to  arouse  the  physician.  Meanwhile  the 
sergeant,  himself  no  unskilled  practitioner,  for 
in  his  calling  a  rough-and-ready  knowledge  of 
surgery  was  necessary,  helped  Cardillac  off  with 
his  outer  clothing,  and  deftly  scissored  the  arm  of 
the  shirt  at  the  shoulder,  gently  tearing  away  the 
linen,  and  thus,  in  spite  of  his  care,  causing  the 
wound  to  bleed  afresh. 

Cardillac  sat  impassive  in  his  chair,  his  wan 
countenance  giving  no  indication  of  the  pain  he 
suffered.  It  was  typical  of  the  times  that  when 
the  ancient  doctor  bustled  in,  evidently  newly 
awakened  from  sleep,  he  carried  with  him  all  the 
appliances  for  attending  to  a  wound  made  by 


56  CARDILLAC 

either  gim-shot  or  sword.  The  washing  and  the 
salving  of  the  wound  proceeded,  and  the  silence 
was  broken  only  by  the  scratching  of  a  quill  pen 
which  the  duke,  seated  at  his  writing-table,  was 
using.  At  last  the  wound  was  bandaged,  the 
outer  clothing  replaced,  and  the  arm  hung  in  a 
sling.  The  physician  drew  a  deep  breath  of  satis- 
faction. The  duke  looked  up  from  his  writing. 

"Well?"  he  ejaculated. 

"  As  beautiful  a  cut  as  any  man  could  desire  to 
see;  clean  and  true,"  said  the  enthusiastic  doctor, 
wiping  his  hands  on  a  towel  that  his  assistant 
presented  to  him.  "  Indeed,  it  might  have  been 
accomplished  by  your  own  sword,  for  it  is  the 
exact  size." 

The  duke  frowned,  but  kept  silence. 
'  The  young  man  appears  to  be  rather  insuffi- 
ciently nourished,  but  with  proper  food,  and  no 
wine,  he  will  be  fit  as  a  farmer  in  a  few  days. 
The  blade  did  not  touch  the  bone." 

"Thank  you;  good-night,"  said  his  lordship, 
in  a  tone  of  dismissal,  and  the  loquacious  doctor, 
with  his  assistant  and  paraphernalia,  vanished. 

Montreuil,  with  knitted  brows,  carefully  pe- 
rused what  he  had  written.  The  letter  ran : 


MY  LORD  DUKE: 

In  addressing  you  thus,  I  have  reason  to  believe  that  I  an- 
ticipate by  a  short  time  only  the  honour  His  Majesty  designs  to 
bestow  upon  you;  therefore,  being  the  first  to  recognise  you  as 


REFRESHMENTS    AND    AFFAIRS         SI 

one  of  us,  I  venture  to  offer  some  counsel  which,  though  unasked, 
may  not  be  unwelcome.  When  you  become  a  member  of  the 
nobility,  you  may  find  it  desirable,  both  for  your  comfort  and 
your  safety,  that  the  class  to  which  you  will  then  belong  be- 
lieves you  to  be  a  peer  of  the  realm  in  spirit  as  well  as  in 
name. 

It  will  ultimately  prove  disastrous  if  throughout  our  ranks 
there  filters  a  suspicion  that  a  man  of  title,  no  matter  how 
highly  placed,  goes  about  in  danger  of  an  assassin's  knife.  To- 
night I  visited  you  at  your  own  request,  and,  also  at  your  own 
request,  I  came  unattended,  entering  your  dwelling  surrep- 
titiously, leaving  in  the  same  manner,  assured  of  secrecy  and 
safe  conduct.  I  have  since  learned  that  I  was  followed  from 
your  very  door  by  an  armed  person  whom  I  believe  to  be  an 
expert  swordsman,  but,  luckily,  before  I  spoke  to  him  he  had 
received  a  wound  in  the  arm,  and  was  partially  disabled.  This 
wound  was  given  by  some  individual  whom  the  young  man  did 
not  recognise,  and  who  doubtless  escaped  undetected  to  his  own 
home,  wherever  that  may  be,  for  your  sergeant  could  give  me 
no  idea  regarding  the  culprit's  identity. 

I  confess  at  once  that  when  I  learned  Cardillac,  the  wounded 
man,  had  followed  me  from  your  palace,  I  suspected  that  you 
had  set  him  on  my  track,  and  in  this  I  admit  I  did  you  an 
injustice,  for  he  tells  me  it  is  you,  and  not  myself,  against 
whom  he  harbours  feelings  of  injury,  and  it  was  you  he  ex- 
pected to  attack,  being  misled  by  one  of  your  minions  named 
Tresor  into  the  belief  that  you,  following  the  example  of  the 
caliph  in  the  Oriental  tale,  roamed  the  city  at  night  in  disguise. 

As  I  have  myself  conducted  large  affairs  of  state,  I  know  by 
experience  the  inconvenience  often  caused  by  the  injudicious 
zeal  of  an  underling,  and  while  personally  I  acquit  you  of  all 
knowledge  of  this  mysterious  affair,  I,  nevertheless,  venture  to 
point  out  to  you  that  such  knowledge  filters  abroad  often  before 
the  person  who,  like  yourself,  has  the  most  at  stake  receives 
the  faintest  inkling  of  it. 

I  have  myself  to-night  been  able  to  do  you  a  good  turn  ia 
preventing  publicity  of  an  incident  which,  once  it  became  known, 
with  various  exaggerations,  might  have  produced  unpleasant 
results.  Luckily  the  police  sergeant,  by  whom  I  forward  this 
letter,  to  be  given  privately  into  your  own  hand,  proved  to  be 


58  CARDILLAC 

a  man  of  discretion.  I  have  imposed  strict  silence  upon  him, 
which  command  you  will  doubtless  emphasise  when  you  see 
him.  One  odd  feature  of  the  affair  is  that  Cardillac,  while 
professing  the  utmost  enmity  to  yourself,  nevertheless  carried 
upon  his  person  a  most  cordial  and  intimate  letter  from  you. 
This  letter  I,  knowing  your  handwriting,  believe  to  be  a  forgery, 
in  spite  of  the  fact  that  it  is  written  on  palace  paper. 

I  shall  keep  this  young  man  under  my  own  eye  until 
such  time  as  I  receive  instructions  from  you  regarding  his 
disposal. 

My  physician  has  been  dressing  his  wounds,  one  in  the  arm, 
one  in  the  neck,  while  I  write,  and  at  this  moment  reports  them 
as  being  most  serious.  The  young  man  is  therefore  safe,  and 
cannot  attempt  to  escape  for  several  days  at  least. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be,  my  lord  duke,  with  many  com- 
pliments, Your  well-wisher,  MONTREUIL. 

The  lengthy  communication  his  lordship  folded, 
and  closed  with  his  own  seal.  This  done,  he  rose 
wearily  to  his  feet,  stretched  out  his  arms,  and 
yawned  like  a  man  tired  of  the  day's  exertions, 
with  the  air  of  one  relaxed,  knowing  himself  to  be 
in  the  presence  of  his  inferiors,  and  careless  of 
their  opinions  concerning  his  manners. 

The  sergeant  of  police  had  been  standing  in  a 
rigid,  semi-military  fashion  since  the  doctor  had 
left  the  room.  .Cardillac  sat  in  a  chair,  his 
shapely  legs  stretched  out,  and  his  feet  crossed, 
leaning  back  with  eyes  half  closed,  eyes  which 
nevertheless  had  been  fastened  all  the  while  on 
the  duke,  taking  a  quiet  inventory  of  him,  estimat- 
ing the  manner  of  man  he  was. 

Apparently  Cardillac  was  half  asleep,  and  in 


REFRESHMENTS    AND    AFFAIRS       59 

this  condition  the  duke  judged  him  to  be,  although, 
as  a  matter  of  fact,  he  was  never  more  alert  in 
his  life,  kept  on  tension  by  his  unceasing  hunger 
and  the  equally  unceasing  sting  of  his  wound. 
The  duke  addressed  and  questioned  the  officer  in 
a  spirit  of  languor  and  indifference,  but  the  acute 
Cardillac  saw,  what  the  sergeant  did  not,  that 
his  lordship  gathered  a  good  deal  of  important  in- 
formation before  the  apparently  careless  colloquy 
was  ended. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  have  kept  you  waiting,  sergeant, 
at  this  late  hour,  when  perhaps  your  superior  in 
office  is  impatient  for  your  .report  at  police  head- 
quarters." 

"  Not  so,  my  lord  duke.  In  this  case  I  am  act- 
ing under  instructions  issued  direct  from  the 
palace  of  Luynes,  thus  independent  of  my  chief, 
and,  indeed,  under  orders  to  report  nothing  to  him 
of  to-night's  proceedings." 

"  Ah,  in  that  case,  sergeant,  my  anxiety  departs. 
The  palace  of  Luynes,  like  my  own,  is  un- 
doubtedly closed  for  the  night.  Would  you  give 
your  men  outside  liberty  to  drink  a  flagon  or  two 
of  wine  before  you  depart?  Meanwhile  I  shall 
order  for  yourself  a  vintage  I  think  will  please 
you." 

As  he  said  this  he  struck  a  bell,  which  being 
immediately  answered,  he  gave  his  commands  for 
a  quantity  of  stout  burgundy  to  be  supplied  to 


60  CARDILLAC 

those  outside,  and  some  champagne  of  the  year 
1600  for  the  business  room.  As  the  sergeant  re- 
turned, and  the  wine  came  in,  the  duke  addressed 
Cardillac. 

"  In  one  respect,  sir,  I  think  I  may  contravene 
the  orders  of  my  excellent  physician.  I  am  quite 
sure  that  a  measure  of  this  delectable  champagne 
will  not  injure  you." 

"  Indeed,  my  lord,"  said  Cardillac  cheerfully, 
"  I  was  about  to  make  a  similar  suggestion.  The 
advice  of  the  physician  was  good  so  far  as  musket- 
shot  wounds  are  concerned,  for  a  large  bullet, 
powder  begrimed,  may  leave  a  jagged  tunnel  in 
a  man's  flesh  that  threatens  inflammation;  but  a 
clean  sword-thrust  is  a  different  matter,  and  of  no 
importance  at  all,  unless  it  touches  a  vital  spot.  I 
drink  to  your  good  health,  my  lord,  and  to  the  fur- 
therance of  your  projects,  whatever  they  may  be." 

The  solemn  nobleman  bowed  in  response  to  this 
toast,  but  he  himself,  neither  then  nor  later,  tasted 
a  drop  of  the  beverage  he  had  so  highly  com- 
mended. The  sergeant  smacked  his  lips  in  en- 
thusiastic approval  of  the  champagne,  the  like  of 
which  he  had  probably  never  enjoyed  before. 

The  duke  paced  slowly  up  and  down  the  room, 
his  hands  clasped  behind  his  back,  his  head  bowed. 
The  sealed  and  addressed  letter  he  had  written 
still  lay  on  his  table.  At  last  he  spoke  with  the  air 
of  one  who  has  nothing  particular  to  say,  but 
wishes  to  make  conversation. 


REFRESHMENTS   AND   AFFAIRS       61 

"  I  suppose  Monsieur  de  Luynes  will  not  be 
expecting  you  to  return  to  the  palace  to-night?" 

"  Oh,  I  have  never  seen  Monsieur  de  Luynes." 

"  Really?  I  understood  you  to  say  you  re- 
ceived your  instructions  from  him?" 

"  No,  my  lord;  I  said  from  the  palace." 

"Ah,  I  see!  Then  you  shall  not  disappoint 
Monsieur  de  Luynes  by  neglecting  to  report  there 
to-night?" 

"  I  suppose  not,  my  lord,  though  my  commands 
may  have  come  from  him." 

"  True,  true,  I  had  not  thought  of  that.  Another 
flagon,  sergeant:  it  is  as  mild  as  new  milk.  The 
champagne  is  mellowed  by  the  flight  of  seventeen 
years.  No,  now  that  you  mention  it,  the  order 
may  have  come  from  Luynes;  although  it 
seems  to  me  unlikely  that  he,  with  the  affairs  of 
the  whole  empire  upon  his  mind,  should  trouble 
himself  about  a  pair  of  brawlers  in  a  Paris 
lane." 

"That  is  very  probable,  my  lord,  and  it  is  al- 
most certain  that  monsieur  knows  no  more  of  to- 
night's proceedings  than  yourself,  Monsieur  le 
Due." 

The  duke  nodded,  and  seemed  to  admire  the 
perspicuity  of  the  sergeant,  who  thrust  out  his 
manly  chest  at  finding  himself  thus  in  confidential 
agreement  and  discussion  with  one  of  the  might- 
iest nobles  in  the  land. 

The  good  man  felt  that  he  had  underestimated 


62  CARDILLAC 

himself  heretofore,  and  the  champagne,  besides 
having  the  virtues  of  new  milk,  produced  a  cheer- 
ing, encouraging  effect,  and  was  all  in  all  a  most 
delectable  fluid. 

"  I  know  the  entourage  of  Monsieur  de  Luynes 
reasonably  well,"  continued  the  duke.  "  In  se- 
lecting you  for  the  mission,  sergeant,  they  would 
naturally  pick  out  the  best  and  most  discreet  man. 
You  are  a  keen  judge  of  character,  I  take  it.  You 
mix  with  all,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest,  and 
form  opinions,  even  if  you  keep  them  hidden  in 
your  own  breast." 

The  sergeant  smiled  craftily,  and  now  took  the 
liberty  of  winking  at  his  lordship,  as  who  would 
say  that  each  of  them  knew  a  thing  or  two  of  this 
world. 

"  Did  the  individual  who  instructed  you  appear 
to  be  a  person  of  importance  in  the  King's  house- 
hold?" 

"  Not  of  great  importance,  my  lord.  He  was 
too  polite  to  be  of  much  account.  His  name  is 
Monsieur  Tresor,  but  I  am  ignorant  of  his  posi- 
tion in  the  household  of  monsieur." 

"  Ah,  old  Tresor !  "  replied  the  duke.  "  A  very 
oily  ancient.  He  was  the  menial  who  saw  me  to 
the  door  to-night." 

"  I  enjoyed  a  long  conversation  with  him  this 
afternoon,"  interjected  Cardillac.  "  In  the  day- 
time he  is  merely  a  guard  in  Luynes's  ante- 


REFRESHMENTS    AND    AFFAIRS       6S 

chamber,  a  person  of  no  importance  whatever,  I 
should  say." 

The  duke  cast  upon  Cardillac  a  swift  but  sharp 
glance  of  appreciation.  He  saw  that  the  young 
man  was  following  keenly  the  trend  of  the  enquiry, 
which  the  sergeant  was  not. 

"  I  think,"  said  the  latter  sagely,  "  that  there 
is  no  need  of  going  to  the  palace  to-night." 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you,"  replied  the  duke. 
"  Still,  if  I  knew  exactly  what  your  instructions 
were,  I  should  be  the  better  able  to  offer  advice." 

"  Oh,  my  instructions  were  precise  enough,"  and 
here  the  sergeant  related  them,  in  much  the  same 
language  as  he  had  used  in  the  lane. 


CHAPTER   V 

THE   MOST    POTENT   DOCUMENT   IN    FRANCE 

IT  seems  to  me,"  said  the  duke  slowly,  when 
the  recital  was  finished,  "that  the  guard 
Tresor,  doubtless  through  his  own  ignor- 
ance of  the  police  laws  of  Paris,  and  the  general 
laws  of  France,  placed  you  in  great  danger,  ser- 
geant." 

"Danger?"  cried  the  sergeant,  valorously. 
"  Why,  my  lord,  I  have  been  accustomed  to  meet 
danger  all  my  life.  I  have  been  set  on  in  my  time 
by  a  mob  of  ruffians  carrying  bludgeons." 

"  And  I  doubt  not  you  acquitted  yourself  most 
courageously,"  interjected  the  duke,  "  but  this  is 
danger  of  a  more  subtle  kind.  Suppose,  for  in- 
stance, that  you  had  been  ignorant  of  the  law,  and 
had  insisted  on  arresting  me,  you  ran  the  danger 
of  being  imprisoned  for  the  rest  of  your  life,  or, 
indeed,  you  might  have  been  taken  out  into  the 
prison  yard  and  shot." 

"  Ah,  but  I  knew  better  than  to  molest  a  man 
of  your  lordship's  privileges." 

"  Still,  Tresor  should  have  given  you  a  warrant 
of  some  kind;  something  which  you  could  fall 
back  upon  if  you  had  made  a  mistake." 

"  Oh,  he  did  that,  of  course." 

64 


MOST  POTENT  DOCUMENT  IN  FRANCE  65 

"  But  you  didn't  show  it  to  me,  sergeant,  when 
you  called  out  that  I  was  arrested  in  the  King's 
name." 

"No,  because  I  recognised  your  lordship  the 
moment  you  turned  your  face  upon  me." 

"  You  have  only  Tresor's  word  for  it,  then,  that 
this  warrant  is  sufficient  to  protect  you.  Did  you 
read  it?" 

"  I  glanced  at  it,  my  lord.  It  seemed  to  give 
me  a  good  deal  of  power." 

"  Yes,  but  by  whom  was  it  signed?  By  himself, 
or  by  the  chief  of  police?  " 

"Well,  my  lord,  that  I  can't  tell  you.  It's 
signed  with  a  scrawl.  I  could  not  make  out  the 
man's  name." 

"  Sergeant,  you  surprise  me.  Don't  you  know 
that  the  value  of  any  document  is  concentrated  in 
its  signature?  Would  you  regard  with  equal  fa- 
vour an  order  for  a  thousand  pistoles  signed  by  me, 
and  a  similar  order  signed  by  one  of  your  men 
outside?" 

The  sergeant  laughed  boisterously. 

"  I'm  not  such  a  fool  as  that,  your  lordship." 

"  But  the  documents  would  be  the  same,  all  ex- 
cept the  signature?" 

"  Certainly,  your  lordship ;  I  see  what  you  mean, 
and  you  yourself  shall  be  the  judge.  It  is  likely 
old  Tresor  has  taken  me  in." 

With  that  he  extracted  a  parchment  from  his 


66  CARDILLAC 

pouch,  and  passed  it  over  to  the  duke,  who  scruti- 
nised it  with  impassive  face,  then  flung  it  on  the 
table  beside  the  letter  to  Luynes. 

"  My  poor  fellow,  I  am  sorry  for  you.  The 
signature,  as  you  say,  is  quite  illegible.  It  was 
cruelly  improper  for  Tresor  to  give  you  such  an 
instrument  as  this.  No  wonder  he  did  not  wish 
you  to  communicate  with  the  chief  of  police. 
Probably  Tresor  meant  no  wrong,  being,  as  I  have 
said,  ignorant  of  the  law.  Still,  he  should  not 
put  an  innocent  man  in  jeopardy,  as  this  so-called 
warrant  does.  Leave  it  with  me,  sergeant,  and  I 
will  ask  Luynes,  next  time  I  meet  him,  whose 
scrawl  this  is  on  the  record." 

"  With  all  the  good  will  in  the  world,  my  lord. 
As  I  have  arrested  nobody,  it  would,  of  course,  be 
useless  even  if  signed  by  the  chief  of  police." 

"Quite  so.  Now,  sergeant,  we  all  wish  to  get 
to  bed.  Here  is  the  letter  to  Luynes.  You 
will  give  it  to  him  to-morrow  between  the  mid-day 
meal  and  the  beginning  of  his  afternoon  reception. 
You  must  insist  oti  seeing  Luynes  himself,  and 
say  to  Tresor,  if  he  questions  you,  that  you  were 
commanded  to  do  so.  Tell  him,  if  he  insists,  that 
the  letter  is  a  private  one  to  Luynes  from  the 
Duke  de  Montreuil.  Show  him  my  seal  and  my 
superscription  here  under  the  word  '  Private.' 
Tresor  will  not  dare  break  the  seal,  nor  can 
he  refuse  you  admission  to  Charles  d'Albert  de 


MOST  POTENT  DOCUMENT  IN  FRANCE   67 

Luynes.  If  questioned  about  this  warrant,  say 
that  you  have  lost  it.  Stick  to  that.  Do  not  tell 
anyone  you  have  given  it  to  me.  Do  you  under- 
stand, sergeant?" 

"  Perfectly,  my  lord." 

The  duke  yawned  again  as  the  sergeant  took  his 
departure,  pacing  up  and  down  the  room  until  his 
major-domo  entered  and  with  a  salute  announced 
that  the  gates  were  closed. 

"Has  Pasquel  retired  for  the  night?" 

"No,  my  lord." 

"Tell  him  to  investigate  quietly,  and  learn 
whether  or  not  this  house  is  watched.  He  is  to 
report  to  me  as  soon  as  his  investigation  is  com- 
plete." 

"  Very  good,  my  lord." 

"  Send  Pierre  here  at  once." 

"  Yes,  my  lord." 

The  major-domo  departed.  The  duke  opened 
a  drawer,  took  out  a  bundle  of  papers,  and 
selected  one,  as  there  entered  to  him  a  weather- 
beaten  man  of  about  forty,  evidently  of  the  Nor- 
man race,  as  was  the  duke  himself.  He  was  at- 
tired in  a  time-stained  riding  costume. 

"  Pierre,  see  to  it  that  you  do  not  lose  this  docu- 
ment. On  it  rests  your  safety  for  the  next  day  or 
two.  If  you  are  stopped,  I  leave  it  to  your  own 
cunning  to  learn  whether  those  who  call  *  Halt  * 
are  for  the  Queen  Mother  or  Luynes.  You 


63  CARDILLAC 

can  be  stupid  enough  when  you  please,  so  do  not 
answer  readily.  You  are  a  man  in  the  horse 
trade,  you  understand.  If  those  who  stop  you  are 
for  Luynes,  you  may  show  them  this  paper:  it 
will  pass  you  through.  If  intercepted  by  the  parti- 
sans of  the  Queen  Mother,  it  will  be  enough  if 
you  mention  that  you  ride  for  me.  My  steward 
will  give  you  all  the  money  you  need,  and  don't 
spare  it. 

"You  ride  for  Amboise.  Your  first  stop  is 
Rambouillet,  which  I  expect  you  to  reach  by  day- 
light. Stop  at  the  Lion  d'Or,  and  arrange  for 
four  horses  to  be  in  readiness  for  whoever  gives 
the  word  'Tresor.'  Then  on  to  Chartres,  where 
you  do  the  same  at  the  Grand  Monarque.  Then 
to  Chateaudun,  to  the  Hotel  de  la  Place,  then  to 
Vendome,  to  the  Hotel  Lion  d'Or.  Lastly  to 
Amboise,  and  the  Hotel  Saint  Vincent.  Stop  at 
Amboise  until  I  arrive.  Do  you  comprehend?" 

"  Yes,  my  lord." 

The  duke  had  been  writing  as  he  gave  his  rapid 
commands. 

"Here,"  he  said,  "is  written  the  word  'Tre- 
sor.' That  pass-word  is  to  be  used  at  each  hotel, 
and  here  is  the  list  of  places,  and  the  name  of  the 
hotel  in  each  town.  Even  if  this  is  found  on  you, 
and  investigation  takes  place,  it  will  merely  corrob- 
orate what  you  have  said,  that  you  are  a  horse- 
dealer. 


MOST  POTENT  DOCUMENT  IN  FRANCE    69 

"  You  may  tell  the  proprietor  in  each  case  that 
one  of  the  horses  will  be  bought;  all  of  them  if 
they  prove  to  be  good.  Now,  away  with  you,  and 
lose  not  a  moment.  Send  in  Francois.  And,  by 
the  way,  show  this  second  paper  at  the  barriers, 
and  they  will  allow  you  to  get  quit  of  Paris.  Once 
outside,  do  not  spare  horseflesh.  Buy  all  the  ani- 
mals you  need,  and  let  nothing  delay  you." 

When  Francois  entered,  the  duke  went  on  as 
though  reciting  a  lesson  he  had  learnt  by  heart. 

"Is  the  travelling  carriage  in  readiness?" 

"Yes,  my  lord." 

"Take  with  you  our  carriage-smith,  and  have 
him  look  over  the  vehicle  with  the  utmost  care. 
See  especially  to  the  wheels  and  axles.  We  are 
undertaking  a  journey  to-night,  and  you  will  bring 
him  with  you  instead  of  a  footman.  Tell  him  to 
place  in  the  rumble  all  the  tools  he  may  need  for 
any  unexpected  breakdown  on  the  way.  Besides 
this,  he  may  as  well  know  that  I  hold  him  respon- 
sible for  the  condition  of  the  carriage  before  we 
begin  our  travels.  See  the  cook,  and  lay  in  provi- 
sions for  a  three  days'  journey.  Have  everything 
ready  in  the  courtyard  by  two  o'clock.  Do  you 
understand?  " 

"  Yes,  my  lord." 

When  the  coachman  had  retired,  the  duke  rose 
from  the  table,  picking  up  the  document  which 
the  sergeant  had  relinquished. 


70  CARDILLAC 

"  Poor  devil,  poor  devil,"  he  murmured,  "  but 
one  can't  make  an  omelette  without  breaking 
eggs." 

"  To  whom  do  you  refer,  my  lord?  "  asked  Car- 
dillac, who  was  now  the  only  other  person  in  the 
room. 

"  To  the  sergeant.  It  shows  the  peasant  origin 
of  Luynes  that  he  should  give  so  potent  a 
commission  as  this  to  such  a  stupid  man.  Do  you 
recognise  that  signature?" 

Cardillac  took  the  warrant. 

"  No,  my  lord,"  he  said. 

"That  is  the  sign  manual  of  our  new  King, 
Louis  XIII." 

"  Cap  de  Dleu!  And  what,  then,  is  the  docu- 
ment to  which  it  is  attached?" 

"  A  lettre  de  cachet  so  formidable  that  through 
its  aid  you  might  consign  to  the  Bastille  the  entire 
peerage  of  France,  if  the  blank  space  contained 
room  enough  for  their  names." 

Cardillac  gave  utterance  to  an  exclamation  of 
dismay.  The  duke  continued  soberly: 

"  Think  of  such  a  document  being  placed  in  the 
hands  of  an  ignorant  sergeant  of  police!  For 
part  of  one  night  this  product  of  the  gutter  had  it 
in  his  power,  to  bury  alive  half  a  dozen  of  the 
greatest  nobles  in  France.  Luynes,  as  I  have 
said,  proves  that  he  possesses  the  mind  and  soul 
of  a  peasant  when  he  places  so  terrible  a  weapon 


MOST  POTENT  DOCUMENT  IN  FRANCE  71 

in  the  hands  of  a  raw  policeman.  Lettres  de 
cachet  have  never  been  put  to  such  a  use  since  they 
were  introduced  a  little  more  than  fifty  years  ago. 
That  man  Luynes  is  ignorant  even  of  their 
form.  A  lettre  de  cachet  is  really  a  lettre  closes. 
It  should  be  closed  in  such  a  way  that  the  letter 
cannot  be  opened  without  breaking  the  seal. 
Here  it  is  tossed  about  as  if  it  were  of  no  more 
importance  than  the  addition  of  an  innkeeper." 

"  But  when  the  King  learns  of  this  use  made  of 
his  signature,"  said  Cardillac,  "  won't  he " 

"  Oh,  the  King !  "  cried  Montreuil,  with  a  hope- 
less shrug  of  his  shoulders.  "  But  come,  Mon- 
sieur de  Cardillac,  we  have  talked  enough  of  this. 
Are  you  ready  for  supper?  " 

"  I  confess  to  an  appetite,"  said  the  young  man 
indifferently.  "  It  is  some  hours  since  I  dined." 

"  I  shall  be  very  glad  of  your  company,"  con- 
cluded his  lordship,  and  they  mounted  the  stairs 
together. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE   GIRL   WHO    HAD   DISAPPEARED 

THE  days  of  the  great  chefs  had  not  yet 
dawned  upon  Paris.  It  was  during  the 
next  reign  that  a  cook  killed  himself  be- 
cause the  King  added  salt  to  a  dish  he  composed. 
Yet  if  anyone  had  told  Cardillac  that  night  of 
the  coming  glories  of  the  French  cuisine,  if  any- 
one had  prophesied  to  him  that  before  he  was  an 
old  man  he  would  enjoy  a  banquet  to  which  the 
supper  of  the  Duke  de  Montreuil  could  not  hold 
a  candle,  the  youth  would  have  called  the  prophet 
false. 

He  brought  with  him  to  this  midnight  meal  the 
sauce  which  even  the  greatest  of  French  chefs 
agree  they  cannot  equal,  a  healthy,  youthful  hun- 
ger, not  yet  prolonged  into  actual  starvation,  but 
perilously  close  to  the  border. 

The  duke  conducted  his  eager  guest  to  a  cabinet 
so  small  that  it  could  hardly  be  dignified  with  the 
name  of  dining-room.  It  was  somewhat  fantas- 
tically decorated:  the  walls  were  of  a  very  pure 
and  dazzling  white,  divided  into  long  panels  by 
thin  gilt  mouldings.  Cardillac,  in  the  candle- 
light, could  not  be  sure  whether  the  ceiling  was 

72 


THE   GIRL   WHO   HAD   DISAPPEARED    73 

actually  domed,  or  the  painting  of  it  produced 
that  illusion. 

The  large  picture  above  him  represented  the 
Goddess  of  Plenty,  scattering  with  profusion  her 
gifts  down  to  the  earth.  In  the  centre  of  each 
white  panel,  very  delicately  painted,  were  fishes 
swimming  in  an  azure  sea;  waterfowl  rising  into 
the  air  from  the  reeds  of  a  mere;  deer  peering 
through  a  thicket  in  the  forest;  a  flock  of  wild 
geese  flying  against  a  pale  blue  sky;  a  covey  of 
partridges  trying  to  hide  themselves  in  the 
friendly  grass;  a  leaping  trout  over  a  sparkling 
stream;  a  bunch  of  luscious  grapes  with  the  dew 
twinkling  on  them  like  diamond  drops;  and  thus 
every  panel  displayed  its  picture. 

A  small  square  table  occupied  the  centre  of  the 
room.  On  a  broad  sideboard  were  set  out  an  en- 
ticing supply  of  cold  viands,  and  flagons  of  cham- 
pagne stood  on  the  table. 

The  supper  was  eaten  in  silence.  Host  and 
guest  were  waited  upon  by  two  serving-men  as  si- 
lent as  themselves.  It  seemed  to  Cardillac  that 
life  up  to  this  juncture  had  not  been  worth  while. 
He  was  now  enjoying  the  climax  of  existence. 
When  at  last  he  pushed  back  his  heavy  chair,  and 
looked  across  the  table,  he  found  the.  sombre  eyes 
of  the  duke  fixed  intently  upon  him,  from  under  a 
frowning  brow;  trying  to  fathom  a  problem;  try* 
ing  to  resolve  a  doubt. 


74.  CARDILLAC 

The  expression  on  his  host's  face  brought  with 
a  pang  to  Cardillac's  mind  the  humiliating  fact 
that  he  had  enjoyed  this  hospitality  upon  no  bet- 
ter introduction  than  an  unprovoked  attack,  im- 
petuous, heedless,  inexcusable.  Oppressed  by  this 
thought,  and  rendered  somewhat  uneasy  by  the 
intent  scrutiny  of  the  duke,  Cardillac  broke  si- 
lence with  a  jauntiness  of  manner  he  was  far  from 
feeling. 

"  My  lord  duke,  although  we  of  the  south  are 
accustomed  to  fare  daintily  and  well,  I  must  con- 
fess that  never  before  have  I  partaken  of  a  re- 
past with  such  enjoyment." 

The  duke,  for  one  brief  instant,  allowed  the 
faintest  glimmer  of  a  smile  to  mitigate  the  harsh- 
ness of  his  expression  at  this  reference  to  the 
abundance  of  the  south;  for  the  well-fed  Norman 
knew  that  there  was  sometimes  a  lack  of  the 
loaves  and  fishes  in  Gascony;  but  the  smile  was  so 
evanescent  that  it  failed  to  attract  the  attention 
of  Cardillac,  who  continued  complacently,  holding 
aloft  his  wine  flagon : 

"  But  there  is  a  drop  of  bitter  at  the  bottom 
of  the  cup." 

"  And  what  is  that?  "  asked  Montreuil. 

"  It  is  that  my  introduction  to  you  should  have 
been  through  the  medium  of  my  own  rudeness." 

By  the  gesture  of  his  han'd  the  duke  seemed  to 
wave  the  subject  aside. 


THE   GIRL   WHO   HAD   DISAPPEARED    75 

"We'll  think  no  more  of  that,"  he  said. 
"  You  made  your  assault  under  a  misapprehension, 
taking  me  for  another  man,  and  you  began  the 
bout  with  so  excellent  a  regard  for  fair  play  that 
you  had  reason  to  complain,  not  without  cause, 
that  I  took  advantage  of  your  unreadiness.  So, 
if  any  fault  existed  in  your  action,  it  has  been 
neutralised  by  my  impetuosity.  You  are  an  excel- 
lent swordsman,  Monsieur  de  Cardillac." 

"  I  have  been  so  accounted,  my  lord." 

'  You  have  come  to  Paris,  I  take  it,  to  live  by 
the  sword,  and  ultimately  to  die  by  the  sword." 

"  The  latter  if  I  chance  to  meet  a  better  man," 
returned  Cardillac,  with  a  smile  of  confident 
worth  that  hinted  he  would  travel  far  before  such 
a  contingency  arrived. 

"  It  is  not  so  much  the  better  man  you  may  fear 
as  the  man  of  treachery.  Against  a  high-placed 
assassin  courage  and  skill  are  useless.  I  surmise, 
monsieur,  that  to-morrow  a  very  strict  search  will 
be  made  throughout  Paris  for  you." 

"Well,  if  you  mean  Luynes  and  Tresor, 
they  know  where  to  find  me.  Indeed,"  continued 
the  young  man,  with  an  access  of  bravado,  "  I 
shall  save  them  all  trouble  on  that  score.  In  the 
morning  I  propose  to  chastise  Tresor  with  the  flat 
of  my  sword,  hoping  to  convince  him  that  lying 
and  intrigue  bear  penalties.  He  is  too  old  and 
too  iniquitous  a  man  to  receive  a  challenge  from 


76  CARDILLAC 

one  of  my  descent,  but  with  the  point  of  my 
weapon  I  will  spur  him  into  action,  and  persuade 
him  to  conduct  me  into  the  presence  of  his  master, 
whom  I  shall  call  upon  to  defend  himself  in  fair 
fight." 

The  host  leaned  back  in  his  chair  and  gazed 
across  at  his  guest  with  an  expression  of  annoy- 
ance bordering  on  despair.  Cardillac  reddened 
under  the  contempt  with  which  he  felt  himself  to 
be  regarded.  For  some  moments  neither  spoke, 
then  the  elder  man  said: 

"  I  had  some  thought  of  making  to  you  a  pro- 
posal, but  it  seems  a  pity  to  interfere  with  a  pro- 
gramme so  excellent  as  that  you  have  done  me  the 
honour  to  outline." 

"  I  am  quite  prepared  to  receive  any  proposal 
you  are  pleased  to  suggest,  my  lord." 

The  duke  shook  his  head. 

"  It  would  be  useless.  By  this  time  to-morrow 
your  body  will  be  floating  down  the  Seine.  You 
are  quite  successfully  striving  to  convince  me  that 
you  lack  judgment,  and  swordsmanship  lacking 
judgment  is  a  danger,  and  not  a  protection." 

"You  think  Luynes  will  dare  to  arrest  me?" 

The  duke  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  If  I,  a  powerful  noble  of  the  realm,  possessing 
a  semi-fortified  house  in  Paris,  garrisoned  by  at 
least  a  hundred  of  armed  men,  am  compelled  to 
fly  at  midnight  from  my  palace,  and  once  outside 


THE   GIRL   WHO   HAD   DISAPPEARED    77 

the  gates  of  Paris  to  depend  on  speed  and  not  on 
valour  for  safety  until  I  reach  the  castle  of  Loches, 
what  chance  is  there  that  you,  an  unknown  lad 
from  Gascony,  can  contrive  to  elude  the  clutches 
of  the  beast  from  whom  I  am  trying  to  escape?  " 

"  In  other  words,"  cried  Cardillac,  "  I  am  an 
empty-headed  fool,  although  you  are  too  courteous 
to  say  so.  I  am  a  braggart,  a  simpleton,  cozened 
by  a  few  soft  phrases  from  Tresor,  and  boasting 
of  my  prowess  and  strength  against  a  man  who 
even  in  swordsmanship  outdoes  me,  running  me 
through  the  arm,  as  I  well  deserved.  My  lord,  I 
am  ashamed  of  myself,  and,  thanking  you  for  your 
hospitality,  will  now  rid  your  palace  of  so  un- 
worthy an  encumbrance." 

Cardillac  rose,  bowed  low,  and  picking  up  his 
cloak  from  the  back  of  the  chair  flung  it  care- 
lessly over  his  shoulder. 

The  duke  raised  his  hand. 

"Sit  down,  monsieur.  You  go  to  extremes, 
first  in  one  direction,  then  in  the  other.  That  is  a 
quality  which  time  will  modify,  your  great  danger 
being  that  it  may  not  allow  time  the  opportunity. 
It  is  also  a  quality  that  in  my  experience  goes  with 
honesty,  and  at  the  present  moment  I  have  need 
of  an  honest  man  who  is  brave,  and  even  a  little 
reckless.  You  came  to  Paris  seeking  employment 
for  your  sword?" 

"Yes,  my  lord." 


78  CARDILLAC 

"  It  was  your  first  intention  to  offer  it  to 
Luynes?  " 

'  Yes,  and  such  is  still  my  intention,  but  now  I 
shall  offer  him  the  point,  and  not  the  hilt." 

"  That  opportunity  may  come,  but  it  is  not  yet. 
I  offer  you  a  chance  of  adventure  which,  if  success- 
ful, will  annoy  Luynes  much  more  than  if  you 
ran  him  through  the  arm.  Your  purse,  I  take  it, 
following  the  example  of  purses  that  come  to 
Paris,  has  been  emptying,  rather  than  filling,  these 
weeks  past." 

Cardillac,  who  had  again  seated  himself,  replied 
with  a  grimace: 

'  That  is  very  true,  my  lord." 

"  I  offer  you  money  enough  to  supply  all  your 
needs  for,  say,  six  months,  in  return  for  service 
of  brain  and  sword,  if  you  take  service  with  me." 

"Agreed." 

"  If  you  succeed  in  the  task  imposed,  I  will  be- 
stow upon  you  one  thousand  golden  pistoles,  and 
a  further  sum  sufficient  to  cover  all  expenses,  ordi- 
nary and  extraordinary,  to  which  you  are  put." 

"  Again  agreed,  my  lord,  and  I  shall  not  add 
the  proviso  that  the  work  I  am  to  do  must  be  such 
as  a  gentleman  may  engage  in,  for  I  am  sure,  my 
lord,  you  would  require  nothing  dishonourable 
from  me." 

The  duke  apparently  did  not  consider  it  neces- 
sary to  reassure  his  guest  on  this  point,  but  con- 


THE   GIRL   WHO   HAD   DISAPPEARED    79 

tinued  in  the  same  quiet  voice  he  had  used  through- 
out the  discourse: 

"  My  only  daughter,  Mademoiselle  Therese, 
was  chief  lady-in-waiting  to  the  Queen  Regent  in 
Paris.  When,  some  months  ago,  the  Queen  was 
sent  a  prisoner  from  Paris  to  Blois,  her  ladies-in- 
waiting  accompanied  her,  and  they  all  reached 
Touraine  except  my  daughter.  She  was  made  a 
prisoner  too,  but  never  reached  Blois." 

"  Ha ! "  cried  Cardillac  eagerly,  resting  his 
elbows  on  the  table,  his  chin  in  his  hands,  and  gaz- 
ing earnestly  across  at  the  speaker. 

"Did  you  speak?"  asked  the  duke,  pausing  in 
his  narration. 

"  No,  my  lord.  Go  on.  You  interest  me 
greatly." 

"  Although  anxious,  I  knew  that  those  who  had 
committed  this  tyrannical  action  would  not  harm 
Therese,  for  to  do  so  would  not  only  raise  a  storm 
of  protest  in  France,  but  would  also  nullify  the 
object  of  her  abductors,  which  was  first  to  deprive 
the  Queen  of  the  one  person  of  intellect  in  her  en- 
tourage, and  second  to  paralyse  all  action  on  my 
part. 

"  Up  to  this  moment  these  objects  have  been 
attained.  My  frequent  conferences  with  Luynes 
had  for  their  purpose  the  release  of  my  daugh- 
ter. Luynes  did  not  deny  that  he  had  caused 
her  to  be  kidnapped,  and  that  he  held  her  in  cus- 


80  CARDILLAC 

tody,  and  he  was  equally  frank  in  proclaiming  his 
reasons  for  this  outrage. 

"  As  the  price  of  her  release,  he  demanded  that 
I  should  go  to  the  castle  at  Loches,  and  persuade 
the  Duke  d'Epernon  to  surrender  it  to  the  force 
which  Luynes  had  stationed  in  Tours.  Once 
Loches  was  given  up,  he  said,  all  danger  of  civil 
war  would  be  averted,  his  whole  object,  he 
averred,  being  the  peace  of  the  realm.  I  agreed 
to  confer  with  Epernon,  and  to  bring  Luynes 
the  duke's  answer,  and  at  first  Luynes  agreed 
to  this,  furnishing  me  with  documents  for 
the  safe  conduct  of  myself  and  another,  and  not 
more  than  ten  servants,  with  power  to  requisition 
such  horses  as  I  might  require.  These  documents 
I  purpose  using  this  morning,  and  so  make  my 
way  to  Loches. 

"  Somewhere  between  Paris  and  Orleans,  or  be- 
tween Orleans  and  Blois,  there  may  be  found  a 
clue  which,  if  followed,  will  lead  to  the  prison  of 
my  daughter.  The  route  taken  by  the  Queen  was 
through  Orleans  to  Blois.  The  deflection  from 
this  route  which  led  my  poor  girl  to  her  jail  must 
have  been  very  deftly  accomplished,  possibly  at 
night,  for  the  spies  I  have  already  sent  over  the 
road  and  back  again  are  completely  baffled. 

"  I  have  succeeded  in  getting  a  messenger 
through  the  guard  to  the  imprisoned  Queen,  but 
neither  she  nor  any  of  the  feather-headed  crew  of 


THE   GIRL  WHO   HAD  DISAPPEARED    81 

women  that  surround  her  can  remember  at  what 
point  in  the  journey  they  saw  my  daughter  last. 
That  is  to  say,  each  one  tells  a  different  tale,  and 
so  one  story  cancels  another.  I  suspect  that 
Orleans,  being  the  largest  city  through  which  they 
passed,  and  one  of  their  stopping  places  for  the 
night,  is  the  spot  where  the  abduction  was  carried 
out.  There  would  be  less  danger  of  discovery 
there  than  in  any  of  the  numerous  small  villages 
through  which  the  procession  passed. 

"  The  task  that  I  set  before  you,  therefore,  is 
one  which  none  but  a  man  of  the  highest  honour 
could  be  entrusted  with.  It  is  to  find  this  clue, 
follow  it  to  the  end,  and  to  rescue  my  daughter 
from  her  environment  and  bring  her  safely  to  me 
in  the  stronghold  of  Loches.  I  do  not  disguise 
from  you  the  difficulty  of  the  quest,  because  others 
have  undertaken  it  and  have  failed.  Every  day 
that  passes  adds  to  that  difficulty,  and  obliterates 
whatever  traces  may  remain  of  the  abduction. 

"  If  you  succeed,  I  will  pay  you  the  minimum 
sum  I  have  named,  and  a  much  larger  amount  if 
you  exercise  great  ingenuity,  or  run  into  extreme 
danger  on  my  account.  Will  you  accept  my  pro- 
posal?" 

"Yes,  my  lord;  I  accept  it  with  delight  and 
gratitude." 

"  My  men  have  been  concentrating  their  atten- 
tion chiefly  on  Orleans,  and  I  regret  to  say  have 


82  CARDILLAC 

not  found  the  slightest  trace  either  of  her  or  her 
captors.  I  suggest  that  you  come  with  me  as  far 
as  Vendome,  and  then  strike  south  the  five  and  a 
half  leagues  to  Blois,  because  all  the  guards  that 
accompanied  the  Queen  from  Paris  are  still 
stationed  there.  Entering  Blois  from  the  north  or 
from  the  west,  as  may  be  most  convenient,  there 
will  be  less  suspicion  of  you  than  if  you  came  from 
the  direction  of  Paris. 

"  By  seeking  service  in  Blois  you  may  become 
acquainted  with  one  or  other  who  followed  the 
Queen  on  her  journey,  learning  thus  every  stop- 
ping place,  and  perhaps  obtaining  other  informa- 
tion that  may  be  of  value  to  you.  As  I  have  said, 
the  episode  is  now  several  months  old,  and  those 
who  know  anything  about  the  affair  will  be  less  on 
the  alert  than  was  previously  the  case.  This  is 
merely  a  suggestion  on  my  part,  and  may  be 
adopted  or  discarded  by  you  at  your  pleasure." 

"  It  is  discarded,  my  lord.  I  hold  the  clue  now 
in  my  hand,  and  we  will  unravel  it  together  with- 
out leaving  this  table,  but  you  must  answer  a 
question  or  two  that  I  shall  ask  you." 


CHAPTER   VII 

THE    QUEST    IS    BEGUN 

THE  duke  looked  sternly  at  his  vis-a-vis 
for  a  few  moments,  almost  as  if  he  sus- 
pected him  of  treating  a  serious  subject 
with  levity. 

"Ask  your  questions,"  he  commanded  curtly. 

"  What  convent  between  here  and  Blois  is  the 
strictest  in  its  rule?  In  what  community  is  all 
speech  prohibited? — surely  a  severe  burden  to  cast 
upon  women !  " 

"You  doubtless  refer  to  the  great  Convent  of 
the  Sacred  Heart  on  the  outskirts  of  Beaugency, 
at  the  edge  of  the  forest  that  extends  to  Blois." 

"  What  convent  is  governed  by  an  abbess  of  the 
blood  royal,  to  which  no  novice  is  admitted  unless 
she  be  of  noble  descent?  " 

'  The  Convent  of  the  Sacred  Heart  at  Beau- 
gency." 

'  Then,  my  lord,  your  daughter  is' an  inmate  of 
the  Convent  of  the  Sacred  Heartv'r 

"  How  can  you  pronounce  so  certainly  on  that?  " 

"Because  old  Tresor,  who  nevertheless  men- 
tioned no  names,  told  me  he  himself  had  con- 

83 


84  CARDILLAC 

ducted  one  of  the  Queen's  ladies-in-waiting  to  the 
strictest  convent  in  France;  a  convent  ruled  by  an 
elderly  relative  of  the  King." 

The  Duke  de  Montreuil  leaned  back  in  his 
chair,  plunged  into  Heep  thought,  and  half  closed 
his  eyes ;  then  he  murmured,  more  to  himself  than 
to  his  auditor: 

"  What  object  could  that  hound  Tresor  have  in 
giving  you  such  information?  " 

"  It  was  merely  his  southern  boastfulness.  He 
was  proving  to  me  how  clever  he  was,  and  how 
much  Luynes  depended  on  his  ingenuity." 

The  duke  shook  his  head. 

"  He  was  misleading  you  for  some  purpose  of 
his  own.  What  is  that  purpose?  " 

'  You  do  not  consider,  my  lord,  that  I  am  but 
an  unknown  youth,  one  of  many  hanging  round 
the  precincts  of  the  palace.  He  could  have  no  ob- 
ject in  misleading  me.  'Twas  but  the  self-conceit 
of  a  southern  man.  Surely  I  should  know  the 
trait." 

'  You  forget  that  that  southern  man  was  send- 
ing you  to  assassinate  me.  You  and  I  were  thus 
linked  in  his  mind.  You  are  too  trustful,  Mon- 
sieur de  Cardillac,  even  after  the  bitter  lesson  you 
have  just  received  under  Tresor's  tuition." 

"Nevertheless,  I  adhere  to  my  first  opinion.  It 
was  but  the  garrulousne.ss  of  an  old  man  who  loves 
to  hear  his  own  voice.  So,  with  your  concurrence, 


THE    QUEST    IS    BEGUN  85 

my  lord,  I  will  accompany  you  to  Chateaudun,  and 
proceed  south  to  Beaugency  instead  of  to  Blois. 
In  furtherance  of  my  design,  I  ask  you  to  give  me 
that  lettre  de  cachet  which  you  got  from  the  ser- 
geant." 

"What  is  your  design?  What  do  you  propose 
to  do  with  the  lettre  de  cachet?" 

"  I  shall  proceed  with  all  speed  to  the  convent, 
reaching  it  before  any  news  of  our  escape  can  have 
come  to  Beaugency.  I  shall  at  once  call  to  my  aid 
Luynes's  men.  I  possess,  as  you  know,  a  letter 
written  in  the  most  cordial  terms,  and  signed  by 
Luynes.  That,  with  the  lettre  de  cachet,  will 
be  my  credentials.  Obtaining  a  guard  of  Luynes's 
men,  I  shall  proceed  to  the  convent. 

"  Having  inscribed  on  the  lettre  de  cachet  your 
daughter's  name,  I  shall  arrest  her,  and  say  it  is 
the  will  of  the  King  that  she  is  to  be  imprisoned 
in  the  castle  of  Montrichard.  Thither,  escorted 
by  this  contingent  of  the  King's  army,  we  will 
proceed.  We  will  make  our  way  through  the 
forest  to  the  south  of  the  Loire,  avoiding  Blois, 
taking  with  us  a  competent  guide  from  Beaugency. 
The  distance  to  Montrichard  cannot  be  more  than 
thirteen  or  fourteen  leagues. 

"  Once  at  Montrichard,  I  will  dismiss  my  body- 
guard, ordering  the  soldiers  to  return  to  Beau- 
gency, and  then  I  am  safe,  for  I  know  everyone 
there,  and  when  we  cross  the  river  Cher  we  are  in 


86  CARDILLAC 

the  Duke  d'Epernon's  country,  but  five  leagues  or 
thereabouts  to  Loches,  with  the  road  free  of 
King's  men.  Indeed,  my  lord,  you  must  travel 
fast  to  reach  Loches  before  mademoiselle  your 
daughter  does." 

The  young  man  spoke  with  an  animated  en- 
thusiasm that  was  infectious.  Several  times  dur- 
ing the  recital  the  duke's  sombre  eyes  lit  up 
momentarily,  to  subside  again  into  their  cus- 
tomary gloom.  The  optimistic  Cardillac  accom- 
panied his  eloquence  with  gestures  as  vivid  as 
those  of  a  Sicilian,  and  so  carried  away  was  he  by 
his  own  oratory  that  it  was  quite  evident  he  re- 
garded the  deed  as  already  done.  The  elder  man 
adopted  a  more  cautious  attitude  which  proved 
him  but  half  convinced,  although  he  did  not  wish 
to  damp  the  other's  ardour. 

"  The  plan  may  succeed  from  its  very  boldness, 
if  it  can  be  carried  out  without  loss  of  time,  but 
the  slightest  delay  means  ever-increasing  danger 
for  you.  Suppose  the  officer  in  charge  of  the 
troops  at  Beaugency  refuses  to  act  until  he  has 
communicated  with  Paris,  and  holds  you  there 
awaiting  the  return  of  his  messenger?" 

"What  officer  in  France  dare  delay  execut- 
ing an  order  bearing  the  signature  of  the 
King?" 

"That  is  true." 

"  And  in  addition  to  that,  I  am  vouched  for  by 


THE    QUEST    IS    BEGUN  87 

the  most  cordial  invitation  from  Luynes,  ask- 
ing me  to  come  to  Paris." 

"  The  two  documents  should  be  very  effective, 
but  what  if  the  hue  and  cry  is  at  Beaugency  before 
you  reach  there?  " 

"  That  is  impossible,  my  lord.  Even  if  your 
horses  are  slow,  and  the  roads  bad,  they  can  surely 
cover  two  leagues  an  hour.  We  will  arrive  at 
Rambouillet  by  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  break- 
fast there,  and  be  in  Chartres  a  little  after  nine. 
Chateaudun  should  be  in  sight  between  one  and 
two.  I  am  then  ten  leagues  at  farthest  from 
Beaugency,  and  can  accomplish  the  distance  by 
six  this  evening.  I  shall  be  dining  at  Beaugency 
before  Tresor  learns  I  have  taken  the  road  to  the 
west. 

"  Even  if  they  discovered  our  flight  as  early  as 
twelve  o'clock,  we  would  then  be  nearing  Chateau- 
dun,  and  it  would  be  impossible  to  overtake  us. 
A  troop  of  their  hardest  riding  cavalry  couldn't 
do  it.  I  arrive  in  Beaugency  before  six  o'clock 
in  the  evening,  engage  a  carriage  and  four  horses, 
the  warrant  is  executed  say  at  seven,  and  we 
take,  the  road  to  Montrichard,  crossing  the  Loire 
by  the  old  bridge  at  Beaugency.  We  reach  Mont- 
richard at  two  o'clock  on  Thursday  morning ;  then 
we  are  safe.  The  century-old,  stone  bridge  allows 
us  to  cross  the  Cher,  and  we  arrive  at  Loches  by 
daybreak.  No;  pursuit  is  futile." 


88  CARDILLAC 

"  You  seem  to  know  the  country  well,  Monsieur 
de  Cardillac,  for  a  Gascon?" 

"Yes,  I  spent  two  years  in  Touraine  as  a  lad. 
I  know  that  land,  especially  the  part  round  Mont- 
richard,  like  the  palm  of  my  hand." 

The  conference  was  here  interrupted  by  a  knock, 
and  Pasquel  entered. 

"  The  house  is  not  watched,  my  lord,  and  the 
road  is  clear  to  the  western  gate.  The  carriage 
is  ready,  and  it  lacks  but  a  quarter  of  an  hour  of 
two  o'clock." 

"Good;  send  the  major-domo  here." 

When  Pasquel  had  gone,  the  duke  and  Cardil- 
lac rose  simultaneously. 

"There  are  one  or  two  points  we  are  forget- 
ting," said  the  nobleman.  "You  are  wounded. 
You  have  had  no  sleep  to-night,  and  will  have 
none  to-morrow  night,  riding  hard  from  now  until 
Thursday  morning.  Will  your  endurance  hold, 
do  you  think?" 

Cardillac  laughed  heartily. 

;'Yes,  for  a  week,  if  necessary,  day  and  night 
on  the  road.  When  I  feel  a  good  horse  under 
me,  as  I  expect  to  do  at  Chateaudun,  I  laugh  at 
either,  wounds  or  fatigue." 

"You  shall  mount  the  best  horse  in  France,  if 
he  happens  to  be  in  that  town.  Ah,  here  is  the 
major-domo.  Conduct  Monsieur  de  Cardillac  to 
my  wardrobe,  and  select  for  him  whatever  he 


THE    QUEST   IS   BEGUN  89 

needs  on  a  long  journey.  There  is  but  scant  time 
in  which  to  make  your  choice,  Cardillac.  I  shall 
meet  you  in  the  courtyard  as  the  clock  strikes 


two." 


"  At  two  o'clock,  my  lord,"  said  Cardillac,  as 
joyfully  as  if  he  were  bound  for  a  picnic,  striding 
after  the  magnificently  uniformed  major-domo. 


A   CONTEST  OF  WITS 

THE  horses  did  even  better  than  Cardillac 
had  predicted,  despite  the  indifference  of 
the  road,  and  at  four  o'clock  that  after- 
noon, bestriding  a  magnificent  animal,  splendidly 
accoutred,  Cardillac  came  in  sight  of  the  great 
square  tower  of  Cesar,  built  in  the  eleventh  cen- 
tury, that  dominates  the  town  of  Beaugency  on 
the  Loire.  The  young  man  showed  no  sign  of 
fatigue,  and  if  his  wound  pained  him  it  produced 
little  effect  on  the  self-confident  swagger  of  the 
handsome  young  equestrian.  Indeed,  he  rode  into 
Beaugency  like  an  armyless  conqueror,  for  this 
town  was  one  in  which  a  Gascon  might  well  hold 
up  his  head  with  pride.  The  Prince  of  Wales 
captured  Beaugency  in  1359,  and  two  years  later 
the  Gascons  wrested  it  from  the  English. 

The  streets  showed  many  soldiers  about;  the 
town  was  evidently  well  garrisoned,  but  no  one 
molested  the  stranger,  although  many  looked  curi- 
ously at  him.  He  drew  up  in  front  of  the  Hotel 
Ecu  de  Bretagne.  So  much  magnificence  obtains 
recognition  everywhere,  and  no  fewer  than  four 
ostlers  ran  out  to  take  'charge  of  the  horse, 

90 


A    CONTEST    OF    WITS  91 

while  the  landlord  bowed  low  on  the  threshold. 
Cardillac  gave  minute  instructions  concerning  the 
treatment  of  his  horse,  resolving,  nevertheless,  to 
see  personally  that  they  were  carried  out,  as  soon 
as  certain  formalities  he  had  determined  upon 
were  completed. 

At  Chateaudun  he  had  learned  the  name  and 
rank  of  the  officer  in  charge  of  the  troops  stationed 
at  Beaugency,  and  had  been  told  that  he  made  his 
headquarters  at  the  Ecu  de  Bretagne,  so  his  first 
enquiry  of  the  deferential  inn-keeper  was: 

"Is  Lieutenant  Defour  within?  Good!  Will 
you  convey  to  him  the  compliments  of  Monsieur 
Victor  de  Cardillac,  who  begs  a  few  words  with 
him?" 

"Assuredly,  my  lord,  and  meanwhile  is  there 
any  other  service  I  can  proffer  to  your  lordship  ?  " 

'  Yes,   a  bottle   of  the  best   Beaugency  wine. 
You  used  to  be  celebrated  for  your  vintages." 

"I  own  a  wine  of  ten  years,  the  like  of  which 
all  France  cannot  show." 

;4  Very  well,  very  well,"  said  Cardillac  im- 
patiently. "Provide  also  something  to  eat,  and. 
serve  it  in  a  private  room,  but  first  deliver  the  mes- 
sage I  have  given  you." 

Lieutenant  Defour  proved  to  be  a  young  man 
but  few  years  older  than  Cardillac  himself, 
and  as  he  approached  he  looked  with  some  sus- 
picion on  the  new-comer,  as  was  to  be  expected 


92  CARDILLAC 

from  one  who  holds  a  main  road  and  is  responsi- 
ble to  his  chiefs  for  the  loyalty  of  those  who  travel 
upon  it.  Nevertheless,  he  greeted  the  stranger 
with  that  gentle  courtesy  which  a  Frenchman  ever 
shows  to  another  in  the  same  rank  of  life,  even 
if  it  becomes  necessary  within  the  hour  to  immure 
him  in  a  dungeon. 

'You  are  Lieutenant  Defour?"  enquired  Car- 
dillac. 

"  At  your  service,  monsieur." 

"  In  command,  I  was  told,  of  the  troops  sta- 
tioned at  Beaugency." 

The  young  officer  bowed. 

"  I  am  travelling  on  a  mission  of  some  import- 
ance to  your  superiors  and  mine.  It  is  an  affair 
calling  for  delicacy  and  secrecy.  I  have  there- 
fore ordered  a  private  room  to  be  prepared,  and 
if  you  will  do  me  the  honour  to  sup  with  me,  I 
shall  give  myself  the  pleasure  of  unfolding  to  you 
the  matter  in  question." 

Again  the  lieutenant  bowed,  but  this  time  not 
quite  so  profoundly  as  before.  The  unknown  was 
taking  a  little  too  much  for  granted.  An  officer 
of  the  King  does  not  break  bread  with  any  chance 
traveller  who  takes  it  upon  himself  to  proffer  an 
invitation.  The  perusal  of  a  letter  of  introduc- 
tion or  the  inspection  of  credentials  should  pre- 
cede the  extending  of  hospitality.  Nevertheless, 
the  refusal  need  not  be  harsh,  for  even  an  alert 


A    CONTEST    OF    WITS  93 

lieutenant  could  not  judge  definitely  the  import- 
ance of  a  man  who  might  have  arrived  on  the 
road  from  Paris. 

"  I  am  desolated,  monsieur,  by  the  circum- 
stances of  a  previous  engagement,  which  refuses 
me  the  advantage  of  being  your  guest  this  evening. 
If,  therefore,  monsieur,  you  will  be  so  indulgent 
as  to  accompany  me  to  my  room,  while  your  repast 
is  being  prepared,  I  can  assure  you  of  the  utmost 
privacy,  and  shall  be  delighted  to  learn  in  what 
manner  I  may  further  your  purpose." 

Beneath  the  graciousness  with  which  these  words 
were  uttered,  Cardillac  was  sensitive  enough  to 
feel  the  iron  touch  of  a  command.  Indeed,  the 
lieutenant  did  not  await  his  acquiescence,  but  turn- 
ing, proceeded  up  the  stair,  followed  by  the  man 
with  a  mission.  Cardillac  began  to  perceive  that 
the  way  he  had  mapped  out  for  himself  was  not 
to  be  so  easy  as  he  had  supposed. 

He  was  conducted  to  a  room  which  gave  a  view 
up  and  down  the  main  road.  A  large  table  in  the 
centre  showed  a  map  of  the  district  spread  out  on 
its  surface,  while  at  either  end  lay  a  pile  of 
official-looking  documents.  Lieutenant  Defour 
closed  and  locked  the  door,  then  motioned  his 
visitor  into  a  chair  on  one  side  of  the  table  and 
took  a  seat  on  the  other,  with  his  back  towards  the 
windows,  and  the  light  full  on  the  face  of  Car- 
dillac. 


94.  CARDILLAC 

"How  far  have  you  travelled  to-day?"  asked 
the  lieutenant  carelessly. 

"  I  left  Paris  this  morning,"  replied  Cardillac 
calmly. 

"What,  and  are  here  in  Beaugency  by  four  in 
the  afternoon?  You  must  have  set  out  early, 
monsieur." 

11  Very  early,  lieutenant." 

"  But  I  was  informed  that  you  entered  by  the 
north  gate,  and  not  by  the  eastern  gate." 

'  That  is  true,  lieutenant.  I  came  by  way 
of  Rambouillet,  Chartres,  and  Chateaudun,  then 
came  south  from  Chateaudun  to  this  place." 

'You  must  have  been  in  haste,  monsieur?" 

"  I  was,  lieutenant.  My  business  admits  of  no 
delay." 

The  officer  was  watching  him  keenly,  although 
pretending  nonchalance. 

;'  Then  why,  monsieur,  choose  a  road  thirty 
leagues  in  length,  when  there  is  a  better  road  of 
twenty-six  leagues  which  would  have  brought  you 
here  sooner,  or  at  the  same  hour,  with  less  waste 
of  horseflesh?  " 

"  Lieutenant,  my  road  was  chosen  for  me  by 
my  superiors,  and  not  by  myself.  I  travel  under 
orders." 

"  I  see.  Do  you  know  why  the  longer  road  was 
chosen?" 

"I  do,  lieutenant." 


A    CONTEST    OF    WITS  95 

"  Do  these  orders  forbid  you  to  divulge  the 
reason?  " 

"  No,  but  only  as  a  last  resort." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  a  last  resort?" 

"  My  orders  are  to  tell  you  as  little  as  possible, 
but  still  to  secure  your  co-operation,  which  is  essen- 
tial to  the  execution  of  the  plan  I  have  in  trust. 
By  insisting,  you  may  learn  everything  I  know." 

"  Presumably,  monsieur,  you  advise  me  not  to 
insist?" 

"  I  do." 

The  lieutenant  smiled  sweetly.  His  vis-a-vis 
remained  an  example  of  complete  insouciance. 

"  In  that  case,  monsieur,  you  need  only  hand  to 
me,  across  the  table,  the  orders  of  my  superior 
officer  at  Orleans,  and  I  shall  promptly  obey 
whatever  commands  are  set  down  in  the  docu- 
ment" 

"  Lieutenant,  I  have  just  informed  you  that  I 
came  by  Chateaudun,  and  not  by  Orleans." 

4  True,  so  you  did.    Am  I  to  take  it,  then,  that 
you  carry  no  written  orders  for  me?" 

"  None  whatever,  lieutenant." 

"  If  that  is  so,  monsieur,  I  deplore  the  neces- 
sity of  ignoring  your  advice.  I  cannot  move  on  a 
verbal  communication  from  a  stranger,  and  fur- 
ther than  that,  I  shall  be  compelled,  greatly  to  my 
grief,  to  detain  you  here,  unless  your  explanation 
is  both  explicit  and  satisfactory." 


96  CARDILLAC 

Cardillac  slightly  inclined  his  head  and  made 
an  eloquent  gesture  with  his  right  hand. 

;<  Your  decision,  lieutenant,  is  strictly  in  accord- 
ance with  what  I  expected  of  you.  The  course 
you  have  outlined  for  yourself  possesses  the  merit 
of  extreme  safety.  The  man  who  acts  strictly  as 
a  subordinate  shows  his  excellent  qualifications  for 
being  always  a  subordinate,  and  he  remains  such. 
On  the  battlefield,  the  soldier  who  consults  his 
own  safety  acquires  a  name  which  I  shall  not 
enunciate  in  your  presence,  but  he  fails  to  obtain 
promotion.  He  who  serves  his  countryM»ay  at 
times  be  called  upon  to  take  a  risk " 

The  lieutenant  interrupted  by  holding  up  his 
hand. 

"  Monsieur,"  he  said,  with  more  abruptness 
than  he  had  hitherto  used,  "  spare  me  your  plati- 
tudes about  a  soldier's  duty,  and  trust  me  to  order 
my  conduct  in  such  a  way  as  seems  best  to  serve 
the  interests  of  our  country.  If  time  is  an  object, 
let  us  not  misuse  it.  The  point  of  this  business 
turns  on  the  question  of  your  identity.  Who  are 
you,  sir,  and  for  whom  do  you  act?" 

"  I  am  Victor  de  Cardillac  of  Gascony.  For 
centuries  my  ancestors  have  been  lords  of  Car- 
dillac, as  to-day  my  father  is;  as  in  future  I  shall 
probably  be.  My  father  was  fortunate  enough' 
to  do  a  great  favour  to  Monsieur  de  Luynes  at  a 
time  when  he  was  poor  and  unknown.  In  other 


A    CONTEST    OF    WITS  97 

words,  he  put  the  foot  of  Luynes  on  the  ladder 
which  he  has  since  ascended  to  the  top.  Some 
months  ago  Monsieur  de  Luynes,  arriving  at  the 
position  of  Prime  Minister  to  the  King,  invited  me 
to  Paris,  where  I  placed  myself  and  my  sword  at 
his  disposal." 

"  He  invited  you  to  Paris,  Monsieur  de  Car- 
dillac?" 

For  answer  the  young  man  undid  his  doublet, 
took  from  it  a  packet  of  papers,  chose  one,  and 
tossed  it  across  the  table. 

"  JJiope  you  know  the  signature  of  Monsieur 
de  Luynes,  and  failing  that,  I  trust  you  will  recog- 
nise the  sign  manual  of  His  Majesty,  the  King.  If 
you  are  not  acquainted  with  one  or  the  other,  then 
I  fear  I  must  return  to  Paris  with  my  mission  un- 
accomplished." 

The  lieutenant  read  the  letter  with  great  care, 
but  failed  to  say  whether  or  not  the  signature  was 
familiar  to  him.  He  looked  up  at  last,  and  said 
genially : 

"You  have  endured  a  long  journey,  Monsieur 
de  Cardillac.  May  I  offer  you  a  flagon  of  wine? 
We  pride  ourselves  on  our  vintages  in  Beau- 
gency." 

"  I  thank  you,  lieutenant.  I  know  the  wine  of 
Beaugency  well,  and  the  landlord  has  promised 
me  a  draught  that  is  ten  years  old,  so  I  shall  cher- 
ish my  thirst  until"  meal  -time." 


98  CARDILLAC 

Lieutenant  Defour  did  not  press  his  invitation. 
He  saw  that  the  other  was  on  his  guard  and  dared 
not  risk  that  loosening  of  the  tongue  which  indul- 
gence in  a  generous  wine  might  produce.  While 
the  lieutenant  mentally  commended  this  discretion, 
he  became  the  more  assured  that  there  was  in  the 
background  a  conspiracy  of  some  sort  designed  to 
entrap  him  into  dereliction  of  duty,  so  his  suavity 
increased,  causing  him  to  ask  his  questions  with 
all  the  courtesy  of  a  courtier. 

4  You  bring  me,  then,  no  orders  from  my  chief, 
General  Tissqt,  stationed  at  Orleans?" 

"  I  bring  orders  to  you  from  no  one,  lieutenant. 
I  do  not  presume  to  give  you  an  order  myself.  I 
merely  desire  to  formulate  a  request,  to  which  you 
will  accede  or  not,  as  you  choose." 

"  It  seems  strange,  Monsieur  de  Cardillac,  that 
your  superiors — if,  as  I  imagine,  they  are  also  the 
superiors  of  my  general — should  pass  him  by  and 
prefer  a  request  to  his  subordinate." 

"Why  does  that  seem  strange  to  you,  lieuten- 
ant? You  must  be  profoundly  ignorant  of  the 
working  of  the  machinery  pertaining  to  high 
politics  if  you  do  not  know  that  there  are  many 
things  done  where  it  is  desirable  that  no  written 
record  shall  be  left  behind." 

"  But  it  was  surely  a  simple  matter  to  com- 
municate verbally  with  the  general,  who  could 
have  sent  forward  a  messenger,  known  and 


A    CONTEST    OF   WITS  99 

trusted  by  me,  from  whom  I  could  have  taken  a 
communication  by  word  of  mouth." 

"  Does  it  not  occur  to  you,  lieutenant,  that  the 
government  may  not  wish  General  Tissot  to  know 
anything  about  this  affair?  But  aside  from  that, 
as  I  told  you,  time  is  of  the  greatest  value  in  this 
instance.  Suppose  I  had  been  sent  to  Orleans, 
had  sought  out  General  Tissot,  had  taken  as  long 
to  convince  him  of  my  good  faith  as  I  have  taken 
with  you;  suppose  then  he  had  found  the  trust- 
worthy man,  and  suppose  that  man  had  come  to 
you.  There  is  then  interjected  into  a  most  secret 
matter  two  quite  unnecessary  personages,  and 
some  valuable  time  is  lost." 

"  Nonsense,  Monsieur  de  Cardillac.  You  could 
have  come  by  Orleans  as  quickly  as  by  way  of 
Chateaudun.  You  could  have  brought  to  me  a 
note  from  General  Tissot  telling  me  to  obey  your 
orders,  and  to  do  this  it  would  not  have  been  nec- 
essary to  inform  General  Tissot  about  your  mis- 
sion, nor  to  inform  a  messenger  between  the 
general  and  myself,  nor  to  inform  me.  Thus, 
instead  of  adding  three  more  to  those  who  know 
the  secret,  you  are  actually  eliminating  one,  which 
is  myself.  I  have  no  desire  to  enquire  into  your 
plans,  but  would  have  done  without  question  what- 
ever was  asked  of  me  at  a  word  from  my  general." 

"  My  dear  lieutenant,  will  you  pardon  me  for 
pointing  out  to  you  that  you  are  criticising,  not  me, 


100  CARDILLAC 

but  Monsieur  de  Luynes  or  Louis  XIII — the  Prime 
Minister  or  the  King?  Unless  it  is  impossible  for 
me  to  do  otherwise,  I  shall  not  pass  on  to  either 
of  them  your  opinion  of  their  strategy." 

"Are  you  venturing  to  threaten  me,  Monsieur 
de  Cardillac?" 

"Oh,  no;  I  am  merely  becoming  a  little  im- 
patient with  you.  May  I  ask  how  old  this  Gen- 
eral Tissot  is?  " 

"What  has  that  to  do  with  the  question?" 

"Even  if  it  has  nothing  to  do  with  it,  would 
you  mind  answering  me?" 

"  General  Tissot  is  a  man  of  about  sixty,  per- 
haps sixty-three  or  four." 

"Quite  so;  just  the  reply  I  expected.  I  fear, 
lieutenant,  you  do  not  realise  the  significance  of 
the  recent  change  of  government  in  Paris.  There 
has  come  into  power  a  government  of  young  men. 
The  King  is  younger  than  either  you  or  I,  and  his 
Prime  Minister  is  not  much  older.  I  suppose  that 
Monsieur  de  Luynes — remember,  I  am  advancing 
this  merely  as  my  own  theory — sees  ahead  of  him 
a  struggle  for  supremacy.  I  venture  again  that 
the  generals  who  will  lead  Luynes's  army  will 
not  be  men  of  sixty-four.  I  believe  that  before 
this  struggle  comes  on,  Monsieur  de  Luynes,  in 
one  way  or  another,  will  have  discovered  any- 
where from  a  dozen  to  a  score  of  capable  young 
men;  men  not  paralysed  by  precedent,  men  of 


A    CONTEST    OF    WITS  101 

brains,  able  to  estimate  and  to  act  promptly  when 
an  unusual  situation  presents  itself.  Therefore  in 
the  coming  contest  Luynes  will  be  victorious. 
If  Luynes  had  wished  your  General  Tissot  to 
know  about  this  transaction,  he  would  assuredly 
have  directed  me  to  Orleans." 

Cardillac  was  pleased  to  note  that  during  this 
exposition  of  the  advantages  of  youth  under  the 
existing  regime  the  lieutenant's  shoulders  braced 
themselves  slightly  and  a  gleam  of  ambition  came 
into  his  eyes.  He  had  at  last  discovered  a  vul- 
nerable spot  in  the  armour  of  caution  and  reserve 
in  which  the  young  man  had  encased  him- 
self. 

"  Very  well,  Monsieur  de  Cardillac,  tell  me  as 
briefly  as  may  be  what  you  wish  with  me." 

"  It  is  my  intention  to  secure  a  carriage  and  four 
horses  from  the  inn-keeper  here,  for  a  night's 
journey." 

"  That  is  easily  done,  Monsieur  de  Cardillac, 
if  you  have  the  money  to  pay  for  a  conveyance." 

"  I  am  well  supplied  with  money,  lieutenant. 
When  that  carriage  is  secured,  I  wish  you  to  drive 
in  it  with  me  to  the  entrance  of  the  Convent  of 
the  Sacred  Heart,  which  I  am  told  is  situated  in 
this  neighbourhood." 

"  Yes,  at  the  edge  of  the  great  forest." 

"  Once  there,  I  request  you  to  enforce  a  war- 
rant which  comes  direct  from  the  King,  and  arrest 


102  CARDILLAC 

a  lady  for  whose  use  the  carriage  has  been  ob- 
tained." 

"  Not  one  of  the  holy  sisters,  I  hope." 

"No;  this  lady  has  been  placed  in  the  convent 
by  order  of  Monsieur  de  Luynes.  Once  arrested, 
it  will  be  my  duty  to  convey  her  to  the  strong 
castle  of  Montrichard,  which  journey  must  be 
accomplished  by  daylight  to-morrow.  I  request 
from  you  a  written  letter  of  safe  conduct  for  the 
lady  and  myself,  also  a  mounted  escort  of  four 
men,  to  be  placed  under  my  control." 

"  You  intend  to  proceed  from  here  to  Mont- 
richard to-night,  then  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  the  affair,  as  I  told  you,  is  one  of  some 
secrecy,  so  we  travel  by  night  and  hope  to  reach 
the  castle  before  daybreak." 

"  Is  the  lady,  then,  a  state  prisoner?  " 

Cardillac  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  She  might  perhaps  be  called  a  state  prisoner. 
She  has  been  held  rather  as  hostage  for  the  good 
conduct  of  her  father,  whose  only  daughter 
she  is." 

"  What  is  her  name  ?" 

"  Mademoiselle  de  Montreuil,  daughter  of  the 
Duke  de  Montreuil." 

The  lieutenant  raised  his  eyebrows  at  this  intel- 
ligence, and  Cardillac  surmised  he  had  known 
nothing  of  the  lady's  detention  in  his  neighbour- 
hood. 


A    CONTEST    OF    WITS  103 

"Will  you  show  me  the  warrant  for  her  ar- 
rest?" 

Cardillac  presented  to  him  the  lettre  de  cachet. 
The  officer  was  not  so  ignorant  but  that  he  knew 
the  drastic  nature  of  this  document,  and  his  regard 
for  the  bearer  of  a  power  so  potent  visibly  in- 
creased. Though  nearly  won  over,  some  doubt 
evidently  still  remained  in  his  mind. 


CHAPTER    IX 

A   DINNER    SPOILED 

THERE  are  two  or  three  points,  Monsieur 
de  Cardillac,"  the  lieutenant  continued, 
"  on  which  I  should  like  a  little  further 
enlightenment.  First,  if  you  intend  to  arrest  this 
lady,  why  is  her  name  not  set  down  upon  this  docu- 
ment? Second,  can  you  give  me  any  reason  for 
her  transference  to  Montrichard,  a  castle  situated 
on  the  borders  of  that  district  over  which  the 
Duke  d'Epernon  holds  sway  in  the  name  of  the 
Queen?  The  lady  is  quite  safe  in  the  Convent  of 
the  Sacred  Heart,  because  Beaugency  is  garrisoned 
on  all  sides  by  the  forces  of  the  King,  whereas  the 
castle  at  Montrichard,  while  held  by  a  nominee  of 
Monsieur  de  Luynes,  is  not  in  a  position  to  stand 
a  siege,  being  neither  well  manned  nor  well  pro- 
visioned. I  understand  it  is  usual  to  take  a 
prisoner,  arrested  on  a  lettre  de  cachet,  to  the 
Bastille  in  Paris.  Why  do  you  convey  her  further 
from  Paris,  into  a  custody  not  nearly  so  secure  as 
that  in  which  she  now  rests?  You  will  observe 
I  do  not  deny  the  lady  is  in  the  convent,  although 

104 


A    DINNER    SPOILED  105 

I  was  given  to  understand  that  her  detention  there 
was  to  be  kept  secret." 

"Well,  lieutenant,  I  think  such  a  fact  should 
remove  all  your  doubts.  I  have  proved  to  you 
that  I  possess  this  secret,  therefore  it  seems  to  me 
you  might  infer  that  I  am  in  the  confidence  of 
Monsieur  de  Luynes." 

"That  is  true.  Your  knowledge  of  the  secret 
has  not  been  without  its  influence  upon  my  mind; 
still,  secrets  have  leaked  out  before  now,  and  a 
man  in  my  position  must  take  every  precaution." 

"  Assuredly,  lieutenant.  The  lettre  de  cachet 
was  signed  by  the  King  and  left  blank,  because  it 
might  have  been  my  duty  to  arrest  another  in 
place  of  Mademoiselle  de  Montreuil." 

"  Another  ?    Who,  for  instance  ?  " 

Cardillac  smiled  in  his  good-natured  way,  threw 
his  right  leg  over  his  left  to  be  more  at  his  ease, 
and  answered  with  an  apparent  jocularity  that 
nevertheless  contained  a  hint: 

"  It  is  quite  possible  to  imagine  circumstances 
which  would  cause  me,  to  my  infinite  regret,  to 
write  the  name  of  Lieutenant  Defour  in  the 
blank  space,  and  thus  give  that  gallant  officer 
the  opportunity  of  proceeding  to  Paris,  where  he 
might  criticise  the  plans  of  Monsieur  de  Luynes 
to  that  statesman's  face." 

"  Do  you  seriously  maintain,  monsieur,  that  such 


106  CARDILLAC 

a  thought  occurred  to  anyone  in  Paris?  I  am 
quite  unknown  to  anyone  in  that  city,  and  am  so 
lacking  in  self-esteem  that  I  venture  to  assert  no 
one  in  authority  there  has  ever  heard  of  me." 

"  You  are  quite  right,  lieutenant.  No  one  but 
myself  ever  thought  of  putting  you  under  arrest, 
and  I  should  do  it  only  if  you  completely  blocked 
the  project  which,  if  it  is  to  produce  the  desired 
effect,  must  be  carried  out  this  evening." 

Then,  with  an  outspreading  of  the  hands  and 
a  sudden  burst  of  confidence,  the  young  Gascon 
continued : 

'  You  are  too  shrewd  for  me,  lieutenant;  I  shall 
not  attempt  to  fence  with  you  any  longer.  Until 
noon  to-day  it  was  a  toss-up  whether  the  name  of 
Mademoiselle  de  Montreuil  should  be  inscribed 
on  this  warrant,  or  that  of  her  noble  father." 

"  You  mean  that  the  Duke  de  Montreuil  was 
in  danger  of  the  Bastille?  Then  why  was  he  not 
taken  into  custody  in  Paris,  where  he  lives?" 

"  Because,  lieutenant,  he  escaped  from  Paris 
sometime  last  night,  and  is  now  making  his  way 
to  the  stronghold  of  Loches  and  the  protection  of 
the  Duke  d'Epernon.  If  I  had  overtaken  him  be- 
fore he  reached  Chateaudun,  his  name  would  have 
gone  on  that  paper.  Failing  to  overtake  him 
there,  my  orders  were  to  proceed  south  to  Beau- 
gency,  and  enlist  the  aid  of  the  officer  in  charge. 
It  was  supposed  in  Paris  that  a  lettre  de  cachet 


A    DINNER    SPOILED  107 

signed  by  the  King  would  not  be  questioned  by  any 
officer  of  the  King." 

"  Do  you  tell  me  that  the  Duke  de  Montreuil, 
flying  from  Paris,  passed  through  Chateaudun  this 
very  day?" 

"Yes,  lieutenant;  making  his  way  by  Vendome 
and  Amboise  to  Loches." 

"  But  he  should  have  been  stopped.  Chateau- 
dun  is  in  my  district.  Do  you  assert  that  he 
passed  through?" 

"  Yes,  lieutenant,  an  hour  ahead  of  me.  I 
may  say  his  papers  are  all  in  order,  and  will  carry 
him  through  to  Loches.  They  are  signed  by 
Luynes  himself,  and  were  given  him  for  a  differ- 
ent purpose,  which  was  that  he  should  go  through 
from  Paris  to  Loches,  and  persuade  the  Duke 
d'Epernon  to  relinquish  that  stronghold  to  the 
authority  of  the  King.  Thus  his  daughter  was 
kept  as  hostage  in  the  convent  here.  But  yester- 
day the  duke  broke  definitely  with  Luynes,  and 
escaped  before  he  could  be  arrested.  Now  you 
have  the  whole  complication  at  your  finger  ends." 

Lieutenant  Defour  sprang  to  his  feet;  the 
former  impassiveness  of  his  face  vanished,  giving 
way  to  a  look  of  determination  and  sudden  resolve. 

"  By  the  gods,  then,  I'lltrap  him.  I'll  send  my 
fastest  rider  down  the  river  to  Blois,  who  will 
rouse  the  garrison  there,  dash  on  to  Amboise,  and 
nip  him  before  he -crosses  the  river." 


108  CARDILLAC 

"  By  whose  orders  will  you  do  that,  lieuten- 
ant?" asked  Cardillac  calmly. 

"Orders?  Orders?  I  need  no  orders  for  such 
a  service  to  the  state." 

"  You  were  very  particular  about  them  half  an 
hour  ago,  lieutenant.  Allow  me  to  explain  that 
what  you  propose  is  impossible,  and,  if  it  were 
possible,  you  would  interfere  with  one  of  the 
cleverest  schemes  ever  invented  by  Luynes." 

"Why  is  it  impossible?" 

"  Because  the  logic  of  the  map  is  unanswerable. 
That  map  spread  out  before  you  says  it  is  impos- 
sible. From  Chateaudun  to  Amboise  the  distance 
is  seventeen  leagues." 

'  Yes,  but  the  distance  from  Beaugency  to  Am- 
boise is  only  fourteen  leagues." 

"As  I  informed  you,  lieutenant,  the  duke  had 
already  more  than  an  hour  the  advantage  of  me 
at  Chateaudun.  At  the  rate  he  was  going,  he 
would  cover  about  three  leagues  in  that  time,  so 
when  I  left  Chateaudun  the  duke  was  at  that  mo- 
ment as  near  to  the  bridge  of  Amboise  as  you  are 
at  this  moment.  I  travelled  seven  leagues  from 
Chateaudun  to  Beaugency,  arriving  here  at  four 
o'clock.  The  duke  rode  at  least  an  equal  distance, 
for  although  during  the  early  part  of  this  day 
time  was  of  immense  value,  it  had  ceased  to  be 
so  when  I  reached  Chateaudun  and  found  the  duke 
still  ahead  of  me. 

"There  was,  therefore,  no  need  that  I  should 


A    DINNER    SPOILED  109 

hurry  to  reach  Beaugency  before  dark,  so  I  rode 
at  leisure,  and  allowing  the  duke  to  have  made 
the  same  speed  that  I  did,  he  was  seven  leagues 
from  Amboise  Bridge  when  I  dismounted  in  front 
of  this  tavern.  It  is  now  after  five  o'clock,  and 
I  do  not  doubt  that  Montreuil,  fearing  pursuit, 
is  already  a  couple  of  leagues  south  of  the  Loire, 
and  before  your  messenger  could  reach  Blois  the 
duke  would  be  safe  in  the  strong  castle  of 
Loches." 

The  lieutenant  resumed  his  chair.  Time  and 
the  map  were  too  strong  for  him,  and  as  the  dis- 
appointed lieutenant  sat  down  again,  Cardillac's 
exultation  rose  in  the  belief  that  he  had  finally 
triumphed.  But  in  this  he  was  mistaken;  one 
more  crisis  was  reserved  for  him. 

'*  What  you  have  just  told  me  of  the  destination 
of  the  Duke  de  Montreuil  makes  your  mission 
seem  an  act  of  greater  folly  than  ever.  You 
propose  to  take  the  daughter  from  a  place  of 
safety,  and  put  her  into  a  castle  poorly  defended, 
within  a  few  leagues  of  her  father,  while  the  coun- 
try between  Montrichard  and  Loches  is  under  the 
control  of  her  father's  friend,  the  Duke  d'Eper- 
non.  You  will  find  it  difficult  to  persuade  me  that 
the  authorities  in  Paris  sanctioned  any  such  insane 
project." 

Cardillac  laughed  heartily  as  he  rose  to  his  feet, 
bending  over  the  table. 

"  Why,  lieutenant,  you  amaze  me.    When  even 


110  CARDILLAC 

a  civilian  like  myself  fathoms  the  design,  it  seems 
to  me  a  military  man  should  not  need  the  explana- 
tion you  demand." 

Pointing  out  the  different  places  on  the  map,  he 
continued : 

'  There  is  Loches,  as  you  say,  a  few  leagues 
away  from  Montrichard.  Here  is  the  girl,  in  an 
unprotected  castle.  We  take  pains  to  assure  our- 
selves that  the  duke  learns  where  his  daughter  is. 
Now,  although  Montrichard  is  known  to  be  poorly 
defended,  the  duke  is  well  aware  that  a  consider- 
able army  is  within  easy  call.  He  knows,  then,  if 
he  is  to  rescue  his  daughter,  he  must  bring  an  over- 
whelming force  and  do  the  trick  in  the  shortest 
possible  space  of  time.  That  force  makes  a  quick 
march  from  Loches  to  Montrichard.  Our  spies 
inform  us  of  every  movement.  The  moment 
Loches  Castle  is  denuded  of  its  defenders,  the 
commandant  at  Tours  marches  up  the  river  and 
occupies  Loches  Castle. 

;'You  see,  the  girl  ceased  to  be  a  hostage  the 
moment  her  father  escaped  from  Paris,  and  so  is 
made  a  decoy  instead.  When  Loches  Castle  is 
occupied  by  the  King's  men,  we  have  then  placed 
the  Duke  d'Epernon  and  the  Duke  de  Montreuil, 
with  their  men,  between  the  upper  and  nether  mill- 
stones. You  will  march  on  them  from  Beaugency, 
another  detachment  from  Blois,  a  third  from 
Tours,  and  a  fourth  from  Loches  itself.  We  hold 


A    DINNER    SPOILED  111 

them  in  a  trap,  and  the  threatened  insurrection  on 
behalf  of  the  Queen  is  thus  nipped  in  the  bud  after 
one  battle." 

"  But,"  disputed  the  lieutenant,  "  the  Duke 
d'Epernon  will  seize  Montrichard  Castle,  and  es- 
tablish himself  there." 

"  In  that  case  the  insurrection  will  be  ended 
without  even  a  battle.  You  yourself  admit  that 
Montrichard  is  badly  proyisioned.  We  surround 
Montrichard,  and  within  a  short  time  it  falls  with- 
out a  stroke,  through  starvation." 

"  A  very  good  plan,"  commented  the  lieutenant, 
nodding,  seeing  before  him  speedy  hostilities,  with 
glory  to  be  won  after  long  waiting.  "  And  now, 
if  you  will  forgive  me  for  my  extreme  caution,  I 
shall  submit  one  of  your  statements  to  a  test.  You 
say  the  Duke  de  Montreuil  passed  through  Cha- 
teaudun  to-day,  his  papers  all  in  order.  As  soon  as 
I  am  assured  that  this  transit  actually  occurred,  I 
shall  bring  forward  no  further  objections,  but  will 
hold  myself  subject  to  your  commands." 

"  Nom  de  Dieu! "  cried  Cardillac,  .-in  despair. 
"  I  cannot  submit  to  such  a  preposterous  sugges- 
tion. Before  even  your  swiftest  horseman  can 
ride  the  seven  leagues  and  back,  the  time  thus  lost 
will  ruin  my  plan.  It  would  be  more  to  the  point 
to  refuse  altogether;  then  I  should  know  what  to 
do." 

The  lieutenant  spoke  soothingly. 


112  CARDILLAC 

"There  will  be  no  further  time  lost.  The  dis- 
trict entrusted  to  my  care  is  a  wide  one,  and  from 
each  important  point  a  courier  leaves  every  evening 
to  bring  me  a  report.  I  make  no  doubt  the  man 
from  Chateaudun  is  now  waiting  to  see  me.  I 
shall  have  him  in  and  question  him." 

The  officer  unlocked  the  door  and  smote  a  bell. 
When  a  prompt  attendant  answered  the  summons, 
his  master  commanded  the  attendance  of  the 
courier  from  Chateaudun.  Cardillac  could  make 
no  further  protest.  He  drew  towards  him  the 
map,  and  bent  over  the  table  as  if  to  examine  the 
various  routes  from  Beaugency  to  Montrichard, 
hoping  thus  to  conceal  his  face  from  the  incoming 
courier.  After  all  this  tedious  talk,  after  his  ela- 
tion of  the  moment  before  at  the  success  of  his 
strategy,  he  was  now  reduced  to  the  depths  of 
despair. 

He  had  entered  Chateaudun  in  the  carnage  with 
the  duke,  and  had  been  stretching  his  cramped 
limbs  on  the  pavement  when  the  officer  in  charge 
demanded  the  duke's  papers  and  examined  them. 
There  had  been  no  attempt  at  concealment,  for 
neither  the  duke  nor  himself  ever  contemplated 
such  a  contretemps  as  this.  A  servant  of  the 
duke's  had  been  sent  on  ahead,  riding  the  saddle- 
horse  procured  for  Cardillac's  benefit,  and  had 
waited  for  the  carriage  a  half-hour  down  the  Ven- 
dome  road,  where  Cardillac,  who  had  left  the 


A    DINNER    SPOILED 

town  as  he  had  entered  it,  quite  openly  in  attend- 
ance on  the  duke,  mounted  the  horse  and  rode  to 
the  south,  while  the  carriage  continued  its  way 
westward. 

He  was  therefore  confronted  by  danger  of  de- 
tection from  two  directions:  first,  the  courier  him- 
self might  have  seen  him  arrive  in  the  duke's 
carriage,  and  might  recognise  him  sitting  at  this 
table;  second,  if  the  lieutenant  made  enquiry  re- 
garding a  horseman  who  arrived  in  Chateaudun 
from  Paris  and  departed  for  Beaugency,  there 
would  be  no  record  of  such  arrival  and  departure, 
and  Defour,  his  suspicions  thus  re-aroused,  would 
likely  place  him .  under  arrest  until  further  en- 
quiries could  be  made  at  Chateaudun. 

Cardillac  had  complained  of  the  rapid  passing 
of  time,  but  the  five  minutes  that  elapsed  before 
the  courier  entered  the  room  were  the  longest  and 
most  bitter  he  had  ever  spent. 

The  man  came  in  booted  and  spurred,  raising 
hand  to  cap  in  salute.  Cardillac  glanced  sideways 
at  him  from  the  corners  of  his  eyes  without  rais- 
ing his  head,  and  saw  the  man  stand  rigid  as  a 
post,  looking  neither  to  the  right  nor  the  left,  his 
gaze  fastened  steadily  on  his  superior.  The  of- 
ficer was  evidently  a  strict  disciplinarian. 

"  Did  the  Duke  de  Montreuil  pass  through 
Chateaudun  to-day?" 

"Yes,  lieutenant." 


114*  CARDILLAC 

"In  the  direction  of  Vendome?" 

"Yes,  lieutenant." 

"  Were  you  there  when  his  papers  were  exam- 
ined?" 

"Yes,  lieutenant." 

"  How  many  people  had  he  with  him?  " 

"  There  were  two  postilions  and  two  men  on  the 
box.  One  young  man,  said  to  be  his  secretary, 
was  in  the  carriage  with  the  duke." 

"  Give  me  your  report." 

The  courier  handed  him  the  packet.  The  lieu- 
tenant broke  the  seal,  glanced  hastily  at  it,  and 
placed  it  on  the  table  before  him. 

"  That  will  do,"  he  said  to  the  courier,  who 
saluted  stiffly  and  walked  out  of  the  room  with 
the  precise  tread  of  an  automaton. 

"  Monsieur  de  Cardillac,"  exclaimed  the  lieu- 
tenant, in  a  more  genial  tone  than  he  had  hitherto 
used,  "  I  fear  I  have  kept  you  so  long  that  your 
dinner  will  be  spoiled,  but  I  hope  the  excellence 
of  the  wine  will  compensate  for  the  over-cooking 
of  the  meat.  I  am  sure  you  will  pardon  both  the 
delay  and  my  inquisitiveness,  when  you  remember 
that  I  stand  here  astride  the  road  between  Paris, 
where  the  King  reigns,  and  Blois,  where  the  Queen, 
his  mother,  is  imprisoned.  I  fear  my  superiors  in 
Paris  sometimes  forget  the  stringency  of  the  orders 
I  have  received  from  General  Tissot  of  Orleans. 
However,  you  have  set  all  my  doubts  at  rest,  and 


A   DINNER    SPOILED  115 

I  shall  be  ready  to  accompany  you  to  the  convent 
as  soon  as  you  have  refreshed  yourself  for  your 
all-night  journey." 

"  Can  I  not  tempt  you  to  the  table  with  me,  lieu- 
tenant?" 

"  No,  I  must  see  to  the  ordering  of  the  car- 
riage. Two  horses  or  four,  monsieur?" 

"  Four,  if  you  please.  This  is  a  journey  on 
which  I  wish  to  take  no  chances.  Do  I  pay  the 
inn-keeper?  " 

''Yes.  I  will  see  that  he  does  not  overcharge 
you.  The  men  to  escort  you  will  await  you  here 
when  we  return  from  the  convent." 

"Thank  you,  lieutenant." 

With  a  sigh  of  relief  Victor  de  Cardillac  went 
downstairs  to  his  belated  meal. 


CHAPTER   X 

THE     ROYAL     ABBESS 

IT  was  nearly  six  o'clock  when  the  hungry  Car- 
dillac  sat  down  to  his  dinner.  His  throat 
was  dry  with  talking,  and  his  tongue  almost 
parched,  so  he  began  the  meal  by  emptying  a 
flagon  of  the  rich  red  wine  of  Beaugency,  which 
fully  justified  the  inn-keeper's  eulogy.  At  last 
word  came  to  him  that  the  carriage  was  ready. 
On  going  outside  he  was  somewhat  surprised  to 
see  his  own  horse  held  by  a  servant  of  the  inn, 
while  the  four  mounted  men,  whom  he  judged  to 
be  his  escort,  sat  their  horses  together  behind  the 
carriage.  Lieutenant  Defour  approached. 

"  I  thought  it  best,"  he  said,  "  considering  the 
secrecy  of  your  mission,  to  drive  right  through  the 
town  and  across  the  bridge  without  stopping,  after 
we  have  done  our  business  at  the  convent.  I  shall, 
however,  defer  to  your  wishes  in  the  matter,  but  if 
you  agree,  I  will  order  these  four  horsemen  to 
await  us  at  the  southern  end  of  the  bridge.  There 
is  a 'chance  that  the  lady  may  make  some  outcry, 
and  Beaugency  is  equally  celebrated  for  its  wine 
and  its  piety.  We  are  taking  a  person  away  from 

116 


THE    ROYAL    ABBESS  117 

the  Convent  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  so  we  must  pro- 
ceed with  some  discretion  and  allow  no  tumult  if 
we  can  prevent  it." 

"  You  are  quite  right,  lieutenant,  and  I  cordially 
agree  with  your  plan." 

"  Of  course  I  could  call  out  my  soldiers  and 
speedily  quell  any  public  disturbance,  but  it  seems 
to  me  better  to  avoid  any  chance  of  that.  Should 
the  lady  prove  obstreperous,  we  will  drive  as 
rapidly  as  may  be  along  the  streets  and  over  the 
bridge,  and  from  that  point  onwards  she  may 
scream  as  loud  as  she  pleases." 

With  this  he  gave  a  sharp  command  to  the  four 
men,  who  wheeled  their  horses  round  and  trotted 
away.  The  lieutenant  entered  the  carriage,  and 
Cardillac  mounted  his  horse. 

The  convent  stood  to  the  westward,  nearly  a 
mile  distant  from  the  hotel  they  had  left.  It  was 
a  large,  sombre  building  of  stone,  formed  around 
an  extensive  square.  It  presented  to  the  outside 
world,  for  the  most  part,  the  blank  walls  of  the 
convent  houses,  which  were  windowless,  except 
here  and  there,  where  a  gable-end  showed  itself, 
and  these  were  furnished  with  small  high  windows 
just  under  the  roof,  high  above  the  ground. 

The  convent  houses  occupied  three  sides  of  the 
square,  and  were  embraced  by  the  great  forest 
which  at  that  time  extended  from  Beaugency  to 
Blois  along  the  northern  bank  of  the  Loire.  The 


118  CARDILLAC 

front  of  the  convent,  facing  the  road,  consisted  of 
a  tall,  square  gate-house,  the  open  upper  part  con- 
taining bells,  which,  as  the  carriage  approached, 
were  ringing  for  compline,  which  marked  seven 
o'clock  of  a  beautiful  summer  evening.  The  gate- 
house was  flanked  on  either  side  by  a  high  stone 
wall,  unclimbable  and  strong. 

The  lieutenant  rang  the  bell  at  the  entrance,  and 
the  two  young  men  waited  a  long  time  before  any 
notice  was  taken  of  their  summons.  At  last  the 
shutter  behind  the  grille  in  the  strong  door  was 
pushed  back,  and  a  woman's  eyes  gazed  for  a  mo- 
ment out  at  them.  Apparently  a  recognition  of 
the  King's  uniform  satisfied  the  wardress  of  this 
royal  convent,  for  there  came  a  rattle  of  chains 
and  a  sudden  withdrawing  of  bolts,  then  the  door 
was  thrown  open  by  a  woman  in  the  semi-con- 
ventual garb  of  a  servant  of  this  religious  house. 
The  young  men  were  permitted  to  enter  a  bare, 
whitewashed  parlour,  an  oasis  of  neutral  ground, 
where-  properly  qualified  people  of  the  world  might 
for  a  brief  moment  meet  those  who  had  renounced 
the  world  and  all  its  works.  Defour  bowed  low 
to  the  neat  servitor  of  this  saintly  community. 

"  Will  you  present  my  reverence  to  our  holy 
mother,  the  abbess,  and  ask  if  she  will  be  gracious 
enough  to  receive  me  for  a  few  moments?  I  am 
Lieutenant  Defour  of  the  guard,  and  comman- 
dant of  this  district.  I  bring  with  me  Monsieur 


THE    ROYAL    ABBESS  119 

Victor  de  Cardillac,  just  arrived  from  Paris,  an 
emissary  from  Monsieur  de  Luynes,  who  has  an 
important  communication  to  make  to  her  royal 
highness,  the  abbess." 

The  doorkeeper  made  a  humble  obeisance,  and 
departed  in  silence.  As  she  opened  the  door  lead- 
ing to  the  cloisters,  a  confused  murmur  of  singing 
could  be  heard. 

The  lady  of  royal  blood  made  no  haste  to  com- 
ply with  the  request  so  deferentially  forwarded  to 
her,  and  the  young  men  were  kept  waiting  for 
nearly  half  an  hour.  The  cheerful  Cardillac  felt 
the  chilling  effect  of  the  bare,  sepulchre-like  white 
walls  that  surrounded  him.  The  only  garniture 
was  a  pathetic  life-size  figure  drooping  from  a 
huge  cross. 

The  silence  was  intense,  and  seemed  unnatural. 
He  wished  the  bells  would  ring  again,  as  he  stood 
there,  hat  in  hand,  his  spirits  sinking,  sinking, 
sinking.  Not  even  during  his  most  despondent 
and.  anxious  moments  with  the  lieutenant  at  the 
inn  had  he  experienced  such  depression  of  soul. 
For  the  first  time  his  quest  seemed  futile,  and  the 
successful  outcome  something  as  absurd  as  a  night- 
mare. The  thought  of  this  grim  fortress,  em- 
braced by  the  sombre,  darkening  forest,  as  he  first 
caught  sight  of  it,  was  gloomy  in  the  extreme. 

There  pressed  down  upon  him  the  knowledge 
that  by  this  day's  work  he,  young,  strong,  stand- 


120  CARDILLAC 

ing  on  the  very  threshold  of  manhood,  with  life  a 
boon  of  almost  untasted  sweetness,  had  forfeited 
it  over  and  over  again ;  first,  by  his  illegal  use  of  a 
lettre  de  cachet,  which  he  knew  to  be  fraudulently 
obtained;  second,  by  his  tampering  with  an  officer 
of  the  guard;  third,  by  this  intrusion  into  a  sacred 
enclave,  at  the  head  of  which  stood  a  venerable 
lady,  a  relative  of  the  King.  This  latter  remem- 
brance held  for  him  a  disquieting  element  entirely 
unconnected  with  whatever  punishment  might  en- 
sue, for  he  himself  was  a  good  Catholic,  and  knew 
his  trespass  bore  features  of  sacrilege. 

Saints  in  heaven,  would  she  never  come! 

He  had  already  destroyed  his  body  in  this, 
world,  and  condemned  his  soul  in  the  next.  In 
the  deep  silence  his  mind  seemed  to  hear  the  clat- 
tering of  hoofs  on  the  highroad  from  Paris.  He 
knew  that  somewhere  those  hurrying  hoof-beats 
were  echoing  his  doom.  In  imagination  he  saw  the 
determined,  dust-covered  messenger  of  death  fling 
himself  from  one  horse,  to  leap  astride  of  another, 
and  so  away  to  the  west  without  a  moment's  delay 
except  to  gulp  down  a  cup  of  wine. 

What  was  keeping  her  ? 

Then  he  realised,  with  a  nervous  intake  of  the 
breath,  that  his  face  was  telling  tales,  for  he  found 
the  calm  eyes  of  the  lieutenant  fixed  upon  him  in 
wonder  and  in  doubt.  He  must  not  again  awaken 
the  enquiring  mind  of  this  young  officer.  With  an 


THE    ROYAL    ABBESS  121 

effort  he  pulled  himself  together.  He  yawned 
wearily. 

"  You  are  tired  after  your  long  ride,"  com- 
mented Defour. 

;<  Yes,  I  am,"  admitted  Cardillac. 

At  last  the  inner  door  opened  on  slow,  silent 
hinges,  and  the  abbess  entered,  followed  by  two 
sisters,  whose  faces  in  the  gathering  twilight 
seemed  ghastly  in  their  whiteness.  The  abbess 
proved  to  be  a  tall,  stately  lady,  somewhere  be- 
tween sixty-five  and  seventy  years  of  age.  There 
was  no  pallor  in  her  wrinkled  face,  and  nothing 
of  that  humility,  that  downcast  meekness  of  coun- 
tenance, which  is  generally  associated  with  the 
nun.  Her  clear,  eagle  eye  looked  upon  the  young 
men  with  imperious  hauteur,  and  the  high  office 
she  held  was  betokened  by  a  nobility  of  bearing 
rather  than  by  any  of  those  gorgeous  trappings 
which  she  was  entitled  to  wear.  Her  garb  was  as 
simple,  sombre  and  coarse  as  that  of  the  humblest 
nun  in  the  poorest  convent  of  France;  she,  the 
head  of  the  richest.  From  the  leathern  girdle 
around  her  waist  hung  an  iron  chain,  from  which 
depended  a  large  cross  of  black  wood. 

Each  of  the  young  men  dropped  simultaneously 
on  one  knee,  and  bowed  low  their  bare  heads  be- 
fore this  aged  abbess  with  the  demeanour  of  a 
queen.  Cardillac,  who  feared  no  man  living, 
found  himself  dismayed  by  this  woman.  His 


CARDILLAC 

heart  was  beating  wildly,  and  the  pulsation  in  his 
ears  as  he  bent  his  head  seemed  like  the  galloping 
of  the  approaching  horse. 

When  the  two  rose  to  their  feet  again,  the  lieu- 
tenant, with  great  deference,  introduced  Cardillac 
as  the  envoy  of  Monsieur  de  Luynes. 

The  abbess  stood  as  motionless  as  the  statue  on 
the  wall,  making  no  response,  so  Cardillac,  ner- 
vously clearing  his  throat,  began  the  fateful  inter- 
view. 

"  Madame,  you  hold  in  custody  here  Therese  de 
Montreuil,  daughter  of  the  Duke  de  Montreuil." 

To  this  assertion  the  abbess  made  no  response, 
but  her  piercing  eyes  seemed  to  read  his  very  soul. 
After  a  pause,  the  young  man  moistened  his  lips, 
and  continued : 

"  I  am  the  bearer  of  a  lettre  de  cachet.  My 
instructions  are  to  arrest  Mademoiselle  de  Mon- 
treuil and  convey  her  to  imprisonment  in  the 
castle  of  Montrichard." 

For  the  first  time  the  abbess  spoke,  in  a  voice 
deep  as  that  of  a  man. 

"  Give  me  the  lettre  de  cachet." 

Cardillac  handed  it  to  her. 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  "  that  is  the  signature  of  the 
King.  Now  let  me  see  your  own  credentials." 

Cardillac  presented  to  her  the  letter  of  Luynes. 
She  barely  glanced  at  it,  then  allowed  it  to  flutter 
from  her  fingers  to  the  floor. 


THE   ROYAL    ABBESS  123 

"  Prove  to  me  that  you  come  from  Monsieur  de 
Luynes,"  said  the  abbess  sternly. 

"  Does  not  this  document  prove  it?  "  asked  the 
young  man,  picking  up  the  discarded  letter. 

"  No,  it  does  not.  If  Monsieur  de  Luynes  com- 
missioned you  to  remove  Mademoiselle  de  Mon- 
treuil,  he  placed  in  your  hands  an  unforgeable 
parchment.  Give  me  that  parchment." 

Cardillac  was  thunderstruck.  He  realised  in  a 
flash  what  he  should  have  known  before:  that 
Luynes  was  no  such  simpleton  as  to  risk  the  spirit- 
ing away  of  so  important  a  hostage  as  made- 
moiselle, should  her  father  discover  her  place  of 
detention. 

It  was  evident  that  between  Luynes  and  this 
grim  figure  in  the  darkening  room  some  token 
had  been  agreed  upon,  whereby  she  would  know, 
beyond  peradventure,  whether  or  not  any  mes- 
senger who  appeared  came  authorised  by  him. 
This  unexpected  obstacle  had  the  immediate  effect 
of  banishing  Cardillac's  trepidation  and  summon- 
ing up  his  departed  courage.  • 

"  Madame,"  he  said  sternly,  "  do  you  venture  to 
disobey  a  personal  mandate  from  the  King?" 

"Yes,"  she  replied. 

;<  Yourself  admitted  the  genuineness  of  the 
signature." 

"  I  do  not  now  dispute  it,  but  I  refuse  to  allow 
you  to  put  it  into  operation." 


124-  CARDILLAC 

"Then  I  shall  require  the  commandant  here  to 
enter  this  convent  by  force  and  serve  the  King's 
warrant,  who  rules  over  convent  as  well  as  castle 
in  this  realm." 

A  sour  smile  came  to  the  thin  lips  of  the  abbess, 
and  her  eyes  in  the  gloom  seemed  to  scintillate 
fire;  but  before  she  could  reply,  if  she  intended  to 
do  so,  the  lieutenant  spoke  with  quick  decision. 

"  I  refuse  to  have  any  hand  in  such  devil's  work. 
Neither  I  nor  any  of  my  men  shall  set  foot  within 
the  precincts  of  this  convent  without  the  invitation 
of  our  holy  mother  the  abbess." 

Cardillac  knew  he  had  played  his  last  card  and 
lost. 

The  abbess  now  turned  to  the  lieutenant,  but 
exhibited  no  gratitude  for  his  assurance  of  im- 
munity from  search.  When  she  addressed  him,  it 
was  in  a  voice  of  ringing  scorn. 

"  What  has  blinded  you — an  officer  of  the  King 
.and  a  man  of  the  world?  Can  you  not  see  that 
this  poor  fool  is  a  charlatan  and  a  mountebank, 
sailing  under  false  colours? — aye,  and  a  thief  as 
well.  He  has  stolen  the  lettre  de  cachet,  and  has 
forged  the  name  of  Luynes.  Think  you  a 
young  popinjay  like  this  is  sent  to  escort  a  noble 
lady  through  the  forest  to  Montrichard  ?  Out 
upon  such  stupidity!  How  has  he  befooled 
you?" 

Turning  to  Cardillac,  she  went  on : 


THE   ROYAL   ABBESS  125 

"  Know,  then,  convicted  cut-purse,  that  when 
Therese  de  Montreuil  is  removed  from  these 
cloisters  the  venerable  Monsieur  Tresor  must 
be  one  of  the  party  that  takes  her  away,  and  even 
he  is  required  to  bring  the  parchment  I  spoke  of. 
Kneel  on  these  boards,  criminal,  and  beg  pardon 
for  your  misdeeds  before  I  give  the  order  for  your 
arrest." 

"  Madame,"  cried  Cardillac,  in  tones  as  haughty 
as  her  own,  "  I  do  not  object  to  kneeling  at  the 
feet  of  a  woman,  nor  to  confessing  my  sins  to  her, 
but  not  at  the  word  of  command." 

"  Lieutenant,  arrest  this  man,  and  lay  him  by 
the  heels  to  cool  his  hot  head  in  the  tower  of 
Cesar." 

The  lieutenant  was  in  a  quandary,  and  the 
gleaming  eyes  of  the  iron  woman  showed  no  ap- 
preciation of  his  difficulty.  She  expected  to  be 
obeyed  instantly,  yet  here  was  he  alone  with  this 
desperado,  whom  she  had  placed  practically  with 
his  back  against  the  wall,  and  at  this  moment,  for- 
getful of  the  fact  that  he  stood  in  the  presence  of 
three  ladies,  his  right  hand  sought  the  hilt  of  his 
sword,  and  his  face  was  as  uncompromising  as  that 
of  the  abbess.  Bitterly  did  Defour  regret  that 
he  had  sent  the  mounted  escort  to  the  southern  end 
of  the  bridge. 

"Do  you  propose  to  arrest  me?"  asked  Car- 
dillac calmly. 


126  CARDILLAC 

"  No.  Although  I  refuse  to  countenance  the 
violation  of  this  sanctuary,  even  to  execute  the 
warrant  of  the  King,  on  the  other  hand,  I  am  not 
allowed  to  receive  orders  from  any  except  my  gen- 
eral in  Orleans.  Therefore,  madame,  I  crave  your 
pardon  if  I  must  unhappily  disregard  your  com- 
mand." 

The  abbess  looked  with  profound  contempt 
upon  both  of  these  specimens  of  manhood  before 
her,  but  said  nothing. 

"  I  must  return  at  once  to  Paris,"  said  Car- 
dillac. 

"  I  was  about  to  make  that  suggestion  myself," 
returned  the  lieutenant,  his  eye  lighting  up.  He 
could  easily  capture  his  man  as  they  passed  through 
the  town,  and  he  determined  to  do  so. 

'  With  your  permission  I  go  by  way  of  Cha- 
teaudun." 

"Why  by  way  of  Chateaudun?  It  is,  as  you 
know,  the  longer  route,  and  if  time  was  of  value 
to  you  before,  it  is  surely  ten-fold  more  so 
now." 

"  I  shall  save  time  by  returning  along  the  route 
I  came,"  persisted  Cardillac  firmly.  "  My  relays 
of  horses  are  at  Chartres,  Rambouillet,  and  other 
points  along  the  road." 

"  You  always  furnish  a  reason  for  any  action 
you  wish  to  take,  and,  I  must  admit,  a  most  ex- 
cellent one.  Still,  if  you  go  by  way  of  the  south- 


THE    ROYAL    ABBESS  127 

ern  route,  I  can  give  you  an  order  which  will  pro- 
cure horses  for  you." 

"  Thank  you,  lieutenant,  but  as  the  horses  I 
have  already  tested  are  waiting  for  me,  I  may  a» 
well  make  use  of  them." 

"  That  is  unanswerable,  of  course.  Well,  I  do 
not  envy  you  your  journey." 

"  Are  you  such  a  craven  as  to  let  this  man  go?  " 
demanded  the  abbess.  "  Shall  I  be  compelled  to 
order  the  alarm  bell  rung,  and  capture  him  with 
my  nuns?  " 

"  Dear  madame,  I  beseech  you !  It  is  not  a  mat- 
ter of  cravenness,  but  of  justice.  Monsieur  de 
Cardillac  came  from  Paris,  and  he  returns  to 
Paris.  If  he  insisted  on  proceeding  to  Blois,  I 
might  use  my  discretion  and  detain  him,  but  as  it 

is "  The  helpless  lieutenant  shrugged  his 

shoulders. 

This  colloquy  was  interrupted  by  the  sudden 
ringing  of  the  gate-bell,  the  iron  handle  of  which 
had  been  pulled  so  strenuously  that  everyone  pres- 
ent except  the  abbess  was  startled  by  the  insistent 
clangour.  The  wardress  seemed  paralysed  by 
fright;  her  terrified  eyes  turned  upon  the  abbess, 
who  merely  looked  at  her  and  said  coldly :  "  Open 
the  door." 

This  command  being  obeyed  disclosed  standing 
on  the  threshold  a  soldier,  who  raised  his  hand  in 
salute  on  seeing  his  chief. 


128  CARDILLAC 

"Well,  Lesparent,  what  is  it?"  asked  Defour, 
stepping  forward. 

"  Pardon,  lieutenant,"  exclaimed  the  man  breath- 
lessly, "  but  a  messenger  has  just  arrived  from 
Paris  with  important  orders." 

"Yes,  yes!" 

"The  Duke  de  Montreuil  has  escaped,  and  is 
supposed  to  be  making  his  way  to  Loches.  You 
are  to  intercept  him  if  possible." 

"  I  knew  all  that  before.  He  is  by  this  time 
across  the  Loire,  and  out  of  our  reach.  Why  did 
not  the  messenger  come  here  himself?" 

"  He  was  too  exhausted,  lieutenant,  and  had  to 
be  helped  from  his  horse." 

"Well,  well,  what  else  did  he  say?" 

"  There  was  with  the  Duke  de  Montreuil  a 
Gascon  renegade  named  Cardillac,  and  Monsieur 
de  Luynes  is  even  more  anxious  to  catch  him  than 
to  intercept  the  duke." 

"  Yes,  yes,  yes." 

"  From  the  description  he  gave,  I  thought  the 
man  you  received  this  afternoon,  and  with  whom 
you  came  here,  might  be  Cardillac,  and  so  I  hur- 
ried after  you." 

"  You  thought ! "  cried  the  lieutenant  in  anger. 
"  Why  did  you  not  think  of  bringing  up  with  you 
a  squad  of  men?" 

The  soldier  bowed  his  head  under  the  reproof, 
and  again  saluted. 


THE    ROYAL    ABBESS  129 

"  Lieutenant,  I  took  the  liberty  of  doing  so. 
There  are  twelve  men  here  behind  me  at  the  gate. 
The  messenger  said  this  Cardillac  was  supposed 
to  bear  a  forged  letter  from  Monsieur  de  Luynes." 

"  And  that's  a  lie ! "  cried  Cardillac,  whipping 
out  his  sword  and  backing  to  the  wall. 

The  sardonic  abbess  never  flinched  at  the  glitter 
of  the  steel,  but  indulged  in  a  wry  smile  of  con- 
tumely at  the  excitement  of  these  puny  men,  whom 
it  was  only  too  palpable  she  despised.  She  for- 
bade herself  the  small  triumph  of  saying:  "I 
told  you  so !  " 

But  the  new  turn  of  affairs  seemed  to  have 
added  half  a  dozen  inches  to  the  stature  of  the 
lieutenant,  who  now,  with  irresistible  power  at  his 
back,  became  once  more  a  figure  of  courage  and 
determination. 

"Monsieur  de  Cardillac,"  he  thundered,  "I 
have  the  honour  and  pleasure  of  arresting  you  in 
the  name  of  the  King !  " 


CHAPTER   XI 

THE     EAVESDROPPER 

VICTOR  DE  CARDILLAC  had  been 
brought  up  by  honest  parents  in  the  ways 
of  honesty.  He  had  gone  to  Paris  up- 
held by  a  determination  to  serve  honestly  a  mas- 
ter who  he  supposed  had  written  him  an  honest 
letter  of  invitation.  With  the  natural  uprightness 
of  youth,  still  untainted  by  the  touch  of  the  gay 
Parisian  world,  he  hated  a  crooked  course,  yet 
ever  since  reaching  Beaugency  he  had  schemed 
and  lied,  and  even  when  speaking  the  truth  had 
twisted  it  in  a  web  of  deceit  from  which  ap- 
parently he  could  not  extricate  himself.  With  an 
honest  purpose  in  view,  he  had  enmeshed  himself 
in  a  very  net-work  of  chicanery,  loathing  himself 
while  he  uttered  these  untruths,  trying  to  veil  them 
under  the  name  of  diplomacy.  And  as  the  result 
of  it  all,  he  stood  with  his  back  against  a  white- 
washed wall,  caught  like  a  rat  in  a  trap. 

By  rights  he  should  have  been  deeply  depressed 
by  the  hopeless  case  in  which  he  found  himself, 
but  instead  a  strange  exhilarating  enthusiasm  pos- 
sessed him,  as  if  the  very  despair  of  his  situation 

130 


THE   EAVESDROPPER  131 

cancelled  the  falsehoods  he  told.  He  viewed  with 
a  sneer  the  sudden  valour  of  the  lieutenant,  who, 
taking  care  to  keep  beyond  the  circumference  of 
his  sword's  radius,  became  newly  courageous  when 
he  found  thirteen  men  at  his  back. 

His  brain  became  alert  and  clear.  Purged  by 
misfortune  from  the  taint  of  mendacity,  he  felt 
himself  infinitely  superior  to  the  lieutenant,  and 
almost  an  equal  of  the  abbess,  although  her  bitter 
smile  triumphed  over  him  for  the  moment.  He 
was  to  reap  no  benefit  from  all  his  turning  and 
twisting,  and  now  whatever  he  accomplished  must 
be  by  the  aid  of  his  good  right  arm  and  straight- 
forward talk. 

Never  again,  he  resolved,  would  he  allow  him- 
self to  be  involved  in  such  a  maze  of  deceit  as 
had  just  come  so  disastrously  to  an  end.  He 
knew  that  it  was  suicide  to  attempt  an  escape  by 
the  outer  gate,  and  saw  at  once  that  his  only 
chance  lay  in  making  an  exit  through  the  door  by 
which  the  abbess  had  entered. 

In  a  flash  his  resourceful  mind  saw  that  if  he 
took  this  risk  he  would  attain  the  advantage  of  a> 
few  moments  at  least,  while  officer  and  soldiers 
hesitated  about  following  him  into  the  forbidden 
precincts  of  the  inner  convent.  And  yet  he  real- 
ised in  another  flash  that  the  capable  abbess  would 
at  once  urge  the  guards  to  pursue  him,  even  if  the 
chase  led  them  into  the  chapel.  He  was  well 


132  CARDILLAC 

aware  there  would  be  no  hesitation  on  her  part. 
Dimly  he  heard  the  bleating  voice  of  the  lieuten- 
ant, although  his  words  carried  no  meaning  to  a 
mind  intent  on  the  inner  door. 

"  Monsieur,  surrender  your  sword.  To  resist  is 
useless;  to  escape  impossible." 

As  if  the  unheeded  words  were  the  signal  he 
required,  he  made  his  dash  to  the  rear  of  the  room. 
The  two  white-faced  nuns  screamed  and  fled, 
thinking  he  meditated  an  attack  upon  them.  The 
abbess  was  made  of  sterner,  more  capable  stuff. 

"The  door!  "  she  shouted.  "The  back  door! 
Fling  your  shoulder  against  it,  lieutenant." 

But  the  lieutenant  was  too  slow.  Cardillac 
threw  it  open,  and  saw  with  a  thrill  of  joy  a  great 
iron  key  on  the  outside. 

"  Ah,"  he  cried,  "  the  saints  are  good  to  me  at 
last!" 

The  saints  were  even  more  favourably  disposed 
towards  him  than  he  guessed.  The  convent  had 
been  built  with  the  firm  purpose  of  keeping  out 
rather  than  of  shutting  in.  The  noble  ladies  who 
occupied  this  sombre  pile  needed  neither  key  nor 
bar  to  hold  them  to  their  duties,  but  it  was  neces- 
sary that  these  duties  should  not  be  disturbed  by 
unauthorised  marauders;  hence  the  single  mas- 
sive door  of  oak,  iron-bound,  bolt-rivetted,  opened 
into  the  waiting-room,  and  when  it  shut  was  closed 
against  timbers  so  stout  and  embedded  in  masonry 


THE    EAVESDROPPER  133 

that  the  thick  wall  must  rend  before  an  entrance 
was  forced.  The  fastened  door  might  be  battered 
into  the  room  if  there  were  power  enough  in  the 
courtyard  to  shatter  the  bolt  of  the  lock,  but  from 
within  the  room  nothing  could  be  effective  but 
slow  fire  or  quick  gunpowder. 

Drawing  the  door  shut  after  him,  he  turned  the 
huge  key,  and  pulled  it  out,  clasping  it  like  a 
battle-axe.  In  his  haste  he  almost  overturned  a 
bending  woman  who  he  correctly  surmised  had 
been  listening  at  the  keyhole,  and  who  had  un- 
consciously done  him  a  service  in  turning  the  key 
round  until  its  flange  impinged  .upon  the  bolt,  so 
that  not  a  second  was  lost  in  locking  the  door. 
She  had  done  this  to  leave  a  clear  tunnel  for  the 
sound  of  voices  to  pass  through.  He  pounced 
upon  her  like  a  hawk  on  a  pigeon,  grasping  her  by 
the  wrist. 

"  Well,  you  listening  hussy,'*  he  cried,  "  I'll 
warrant  you  heard  no  good  of  yourself." 

The  girl  had  not  cried  out,  even  when  he 
tumbled  her  to  the  stone  flags  in  his  headlong  exit, 
and  now,  standing  upright,  she  defied  him  with 
blazing  eyes. 

"  No,"  she  cried,  "  I  heard  no  good  of  myself, 
and  less  good  of  you,  you  sneak,  you  thief,  you 
liar !  Let  go  of  my  wrist !  " 

"  Tut-tut,  my  girl,  keep  a  civil  tongue  in  your 
head,  or  I'll  cuff  your  ears." 


CARDILLAC 

He  saw  by  her  dress  that  she  was  not  a  nun,  but 
a  servant  of  the  convent,  and  yet  amazingly  beau- 
tiful, her  defiant  eyes  of  jet  black  showing  not  a 
trace  of  fear,  although  she  must  have  known  she 
was  in  the  hands  of  a  desperado.  Cardillac  had 
an  eye  for  beauty. 

"  By  Saint  Elizabeth,"  he  cried,  "  you  are 
good  to  look  upon !  Why  do  you  call  me  a  thief, 
when  you  yourself  are  one,  listening  at  a  key- 
hole?" 

"  It  is  no  business  of  yours !     Let  me  go !  " 

"  All  in  good  time,  my  girl.  Is  there  any  other 
exit  from  this  convent  but  that  door  through  which 
I  came?" 

"  I'll  not  tell  you,  you  ruffian." 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  will.  Is  that  a  well  in  the  centre 
of  the  courtyard?" 

She  did  not  reply,  and  he  dragged  her  to  the 
stone  curb  that  surrounded  it,  overarched  by  beau- 
tiful wrought-iron  work,  with  pulley,  rope  and 
bucket. 

"You'll  not!  Well,  I'll  find  a  way  to  make 
you  speak.  First  let  us  find  how  deep  the  well  is," 
and  he  flung  in  the  heavy  key,  listening  until  after 
a  long  interval  he  heard  it  plunge  into  the  water. 

"Now,  my  girl,  you'll  help  me  to  escape,  or 
you'll  follow  that  key."  * 

As  he  spoke,  the  thunder  at  the  door  increased, 
and  he  knew  instinctively  what  had  happened. 


THE   EAVESDROPPER  135 

They  had  taken  the  pole  from  the  carriage,  and 
were  using  it  as  a  battering  ram.  He  marvelled 
that  this  smiting  of  the  oaken  door,  which  filled 
the  courtyard  with  its  reverberations,  did  not  dis- 
turb the  nuns  in  the  chapel  at  their  devotions,  and 
that,  amidst  all  the  tumult,  he  could  hear  their 
sweet,  placid  voices  singing. 

The  shattering  blows  at  the  door  alarmed  him, 
quite  unnecessarily,  as  he  afterwards  learned,  but 
he  had  come  through  the  portal  too  hastily  to  esti- 
mate the  strength  of  the  barricade  that  stood  be- 
tween him  and  his  enemies.  The  door  could  not 
be  battered  in,  nor  could  the  lock  be  tampered 
with,  for  its  whole  complicated  iron  structure  was 
entirely  on  the  courtyard  side,  with  four  inches  of 
solid  oak  and  metal  between  it  and  the  futile  im- 
pact of  the  carriage  pole. 

But  the  turmoil  for  one  moment  withdrew  his 
attention  from  the  girl  whose  wrist  he  held,  and 
his  grasp  momentarily  relaxed,  a  fact  of  which 
she  took  swift  advantage.  Wrenching  .herself 
free,  she  fled  with  the  speed  of  a  fawn  across  the 
grass  of  the  courtyard,  making  for  the  cloisters  at 
the  end  of  the  convent  most  deeply  embowered  in 
the  forest,  and  farthest  from  the  assaulted  door. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE   ESCAPE    FROM  THE   CONVENT 

IT  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  flying  girl,  who 
possessed  an  appreciation  of  the  grotesque, 
could  not  have  glanced  over  her  shoulder  and 
seen  the  immediate  result  of  her  defection.  In 
her  escape,  she  had  sprung  to  one  side,  and  then, 
speeding  like  a  sylph,  had  placed  the  stone-curbed, 
iron-canopied  well  between  her  and  him.  He 
precipitated  himself  head  first  under  the  iron  arch 
and  across  the  well,  like  a  circus-rider  dashing 
through  a  hoop,  but,  alas !  his  toe  touched  the  stone, 
and  headlong  he  sprawled,  all  fours,  on  the 
sward.  Springing  erect,  he  voiced  an  oath  all  the 
more  deplorable  because  of  the  sacred  precincts 
in  which  it  was  uttered,  and  now  all  his  alert- 
ness was  needed  if  he  was  to  overtake  so  fleet  a 
fugitive. 

She  needed  but  two  seconds  to  escape;  one  mo- 
ment was  accorded  to  her  by  the  well-curb,  the 
other  was  denied  her  by  the  small  door  she  essayed 
to  close,  for  ere  she  got  it  completely  shut  the  foot 
that  played  traitor  to  him  at  the  well  now  stood 
Cardillac's  friend,  and  although  the  girl  exerted 

136 


THE    ESCAPE    FROM    THE    CONVENT     137 

all  her  strength,  she  could  not  shut  him  out. 
Rudely  he  pressed  the  door  back  upon  her.  She 
turned,  and  made  for  the  stone  stairs,  but  his 
forceful  arms  were  round  her  before  she  reached 
the  second  step.  Whirling  round  in  their  em- 
brace, she  struck  him  again  and  again  with  her 
small  clenched  fists — ineffectual  blows  which  he 
took  with  the  nonchalance  of  a  stoic. 

Dragging  her  towards  the  partially  closed  door, 
he  kicked  it  shut  with  his  foot;  then,  holding  her 
helpless  with  one  hand,  thrust  in  the  stout  bolt,  an 
act  she  had  hoped  to  accomplish  alone,  with  him 
on  the  outside.  Next,  he  seized  her  by  the 
shoulders,  and  pressed  her  back  against  the  rough 
stone  wall,  and  dim  as  was  the  light  in  that  hall- 
way, nevertheless  he  saw  the  star-like  sparkle  of 
indignation  in  those  dark  eyes  which  looked  at  him 
unafraid,  and  an  emotion  of  admiration  thrilled 
him  as  he  remembered  that  during  this  assault  not 
once  had  her  beautiful  red  lips  given  breath  to  a 
scream  for  help. 

When  he  spoke  it  was  very  quietly ;  manner  and 
tone  and  words  impressed  the  captive  in  spite  of 
herself. 

"  My  girl,"  he  said,  "  ordinarily  I  am  a  gentle- 
man, but  at  this  moment  I  am  a  wild  beast  at  bay. 
I  am  a  wolf  trapped,  and  however  cowardly  the 
animal  may  be  when  at  liberty,  beware  of  the  wolf 
when  the  deadfall  catches  him.  If  I  have  hurt 


138  CARDILLAC 

you,  I  am  sorry,  but  believe  me,  girl,  if  you  will 
not  do  exactly  what  I  tell  you,  I  shall  crush  you 
into  pulp,  or  break  you  like  a  reed.  Do  you  credit 
this  from  one  who  has  just  proclaimed  himself  a 
gentleman?  " 

"  You  are  no  gentleman,  but  a  low-born  vaurien, 
and  because  you  are  such,  I  quite  believe  you  will 
treat  me  as  you  propose." 

"  I  am  no  vaurien,  as  you  would  at  once  per- 
ceive if  your  eyes  were  as  penetrating  as  they  are 
beautiful.  I  am  Victor  de  Cardillac  of  Gascony, 
and  will  be  Marquis  of  Cardillac  in  succession  to 
my  father — long  may  he  live !  which  is  a  remark 
I  would  not  make  of  the  King.  And  now,  my  girl, 
who  are  you?  " 

"  I  am  Marie  Duchamps,  and  will  never  be  a 
marquise,  because  I  could  not  bring  myself  to  wed 
the  title  if  such  as  you  wear  it." 

'You  are  premature.  Time  enough  to  refuse 
when  you  are  asked,  ma  petite  Marie.  But  I 
have  no  time  for  amiable  and  complimentary  con- 
versation." 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  have.  They  will  never  get  down 
that  door  till  they  send  to  Beaugency  for  a  petard, 
and  they  have  not  thought  of  that  yet." 

"You  have  told  me  who  you  are.  What  are 
you  in  this  convent?" 

"  I  am  waiting-maid  to  Mademoiselle  de  Mon- 
treuil." 


THE    ESCAPE    FROM    THE    CONVENT     139 

"Ah,  my  luck  still  holds!    Where  is  she?" 

"  I  shall  not  tell  you." 

His  grip  tightened  on  her  plump  shoulders,  and 
she  winced  under  his  grasp. 

"  I  think  you  underestimate  your  danger,  Marie 
Duchamps." 

"Oh,  no;  I  am  quite  convinced  that  Monsieur 
de  Cardillac  possesses  sufficient  courage  to  murder 
a  woman,  especially  when  she  is  helpless  and  un- 
armed. I  underestimate  neither  my  peril  nor  your 
valour,  monsieur." 

"  Basta!"  snarled  Cardillac,  as  he  withdrew 
his  hands  from  her  shoulders.  This  time  she 
made  no  attempt  to  escape,  standing  there  shiver- 
ing a  little  when  his  clutch  was  removed. 

"  Marie,"  he  said,  with  a  smile  that  should  have 
given  her  some  better  knowledge  of  his  character 
than  she  had  heretofore  acquired,  "  I  see  it  is  use- 
less trying  to  frighten  you,  but  consider,  I  beg  of 
you,  my  dire  dilemma.  It  is  not  so  much  the  for- 
feit of  my  life — if  I  am  caught — that  I  regret,  as 
the  failure  of  my  plan,  as  to  be  discomfited  by  that 
fat-head  of  a  lieutenant,  who  is  not  a  tenth  part  the 
man  the  abbess  is;  indeed,  I  shrink  from  -that 
grim  woman  myself,  and  am  cowardly  when  I 
think  of  her  gloating  over  me  *  once  they  have  me 
pinioned.  Tell  me,  girl,  is  money  any  tempta- 
tion to  you?  " 

"  Money    is   a   temptation   to    all    women,   if 


140  CARDILLAC 

they  can  but  get  within  reach  of  a  town  where 
there  are  things  to  buy." 

'  Very  well,  Marie,  I  will  give  you  more  money 
than  ever  you  saw  before  if  you  will  but  procure 
for  me  a  meeting  with  your  mistress,  and  that 
upon  the  instant,  for  I  would  take  her  and  you  to  a 
place  of  safety." 

"  We  are  in  a  place  of  safety  now,  monsieur. 
It  is  you  who  are  not  in  a  place  of  safety.  But, 
aside  from  that,  my  mistress  will  never  receive 
you." 

"How  do  you  know?     I  am  as  noble  as  she." 

"  She  would  not  believe  that." 

"  But  I  am  her  father's  friend  and  emissary." 

"She  would  not  believe  that  either." 

"  She  must  be  a  doubting  creature." 

"  She  is  not  a  creature  at  all,  but  one  of  the 
highest  ladies  of  the  land,  and  I  beg  you,  sir,  to 
speak  of  her  with  respect." 

"  Oh,  surely.  I  think  of  her  and  will  speak  of 
her  with  the  greatest  of  respect.  I  am  her  father's 
friend,  and  hers,  if  she  will  but  accept  me  as  such, 
and  I  have  come  to  her  rescue." 

"  Monsieur,  you  hinted  that  time  was  precious, 
and  I  told  you  it  would  be  two  hours  before  they 
could  gain  an  entrance.  Nevertheless,  I  advise 
you  not  to  waste  time  as  you  are  doing." 

"Very  well.  Conduct  me  to  your  mistress  at 
once." 


THE    ESCAPE    FROM    THE    CONVENT     141 

"  I  tell  you  it  would  be  useless;  she  would  not 
receive  you." 

"  Why  do  you  say  this  so  confidently?" 

"  Because  you  forget  I  was  listening  at  the  key- 
hole, and  forget  that  I  know  all  about  you.  You 
are  an  emissary  of  the  King  and  Luynes.  You 
carry  with  you  a  lettre  de  cachet  for  the  arrest  of 
mademoiselle,  with  an  object  of  placing  her  in  a 
fortress." 

"  Now,  the  gods  have  patience  with  your  brains, 
you  simpleton !  Think  you  if  I  were  on  the  King's 
work  I  should  stand  here  in  jeopardy  from  the 
King's  soldiers?  What  have  I  to  fear  if  I  hold 
commission  from  the  King?  The  lettre  de  cachet 
of  which  you  speak  was  intended  for  the  arrest  of 
the  father  of  mademoiselle.  He  has  escaped  from 
Paris.  I  came  with  him  as  far  as  Chateaudun. 
He  drove  on  to  Loches,  and  at  this  moment  is 
safely  within  its  walls,  I  trust." 

The  girl  seemed  staggered  by  this  declaration, 
and  gazed  at  him  with  wide-open  eyes,  which  now 
he  had  the  better  opportunity  to  admire. 

"  The  Duke  de  Montreuil,"  she  said  at  last, 
"  would  never  have  commissioned  a  young  man 
like  you  to  carry  his  daughter  alone  and  unat- 
tended through  the  ^forest  that  surrounds  this 
place,  and  in  the  depth  of  night." 

"  Oh,  you  heard  the  abbess  say  that,  but  neither 
you  nor  she  realises  the  despair  of  a  father  who 


CARDILLAC 

finds  his  only  daughter  whisked  away  from  all  his 
knowledge,  as  if  she  had  vanished  from  the  face 
of  the  earth.  A  man  in  such  plight  will  clutch 
at  any-straw.  Not  that  I  am  a  man  of  straw,  as 
my  simile  would  seem  to  indicate,  but  one  whose 
lineage  is  as  old  as  that  of  the  duke  himself.  I 
have  sat  at  the  duke's  table  as  equal  with  equal, 
and  he  entrusted  me  with  this  mission.  It  is  mad- 
dening to  think  I  have  come  within  an  ace  of  suc- 
ceeding, to  be  baffled  first  by  an  ill-tempered  old 
woman,  and  secondly  by  a  chattering  maid." 

"  Monsieur,  it  seems  that  you  are  doing  most  of 
the  chattering  yourself.  I  have  remained  silent. 
If,  then,  you  hold  any  written  testimony  that  will 
convince  mademoiselle  you  come  from  her  father, 
I  will  take  it  to  her." 

"Vrai  Dieu!  How  little  you  know  the  folly 
you  are  speaking!  To  carry  a  written  document 
from  the  Duke  de  Montreuil  through  the  country 
of  the  King  would  mean  my  own  arrest,  and  the 
nullification  of  my  plans,  the  moment  I  was 
searched  and  the  letter  found.  The  Duke  de 
Montreuil  is  a  middle-aged  man  of  experience,  and 
he  trusted  me  without  any  letters  and  without  any 
credentials.  If  his  daughter  possesses  but  a  tithe 
of  his  good  sense,  I  shall  convince  her  in  half  the 
time  I  have  been  talking  to  you." 

"  You  profess  great  faith  in  your  powers  of  per- 
suasion, monsieur." 


THE    ESCAPE    FROM    THE    CONVENT     143 

"  If  so,  my  faith  is  becoming  less  and  less.  If 
you  object  much  longer,  you  will  destroy  it  alto- 
gether." 

The  girl  smiled,  and  the  despairing  Cardillac 
seemed  to  gather  some  hope  from  her  change  of 
expression. 

"  It  would  be  a  pity  to  diminish  your  self-con- 
fidence, monsieur.  If  you  answer  truthfully  a 
question  or  two  I  shall  put  to  you,  I  may  succeed 
in  re-establishing  it.  How  long  have  you  known 
the  Duke  de  Montreuil?  " 

"  Not  two  days  yet" 

"You  are  not  a  partisan  of  his,  then?  " 

"  I  never  saw  him  until  yesterday." 

"  Then  how  came  so  conservative  a  man  as  he 
to  entrust  you  with  a  mission  so  delicate?" 

.Cardillac  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

" — On  such  short  acquaintance,  and  with  no 
credentials  from  you,  as  I  understood  you  to  say  ?  " 

"  You  ignore  a  father's  love  and  his  anxiety 
for  an  only  daughter." 

"True,  so  I  do;  but  you,  monsieur,  if  you  could 
confess  no  loyalty  to  his  highness,  and  could 
scarcely  claim  acquaintance  with  him,  how  came  it 
that  you  undertook  an  expedition  so  dangerous? 
Although  you  have  spoken  convincingly  of  a 
father's  love  for  his  daughter,  and  therefore  per- 
suaded me  that  the  Duke  de  Montreuil  might 
have  acted  as  you  say,  on  your  part  there  was  not 


CARDILLAC 

even  friendship  to  enlist  you.  How  came  you, 
then,  to  run  your  neck  into  the  noose?" 

"  For  two  reasons,  Marie  Duchamps.  First,  I 
am  a  young  man  with  a  name  to  make,  so  I  fairly 
jumped  at  the  chance  offered  me;  second,  I  am  a 
poor  man  with  my  fortune  to  make,  and  the  duke 
offered  me  a  thousand  pistoles  in  gold  if  I  were 
successful." 

"  Ah  1  "  cried  the  girl,  in  long-drawn-out  intona- 
tion, her  eyes  lighting  up  with  intelligence. 
"  Now  I  understand !  The  money  that  tempts  a 
woman  tempts  a  man  also." 

"  But  certainly,  Marie." 

"  I  will  see  my  mistress  at  once,  and  report  to 
her  what  you  have  said.  Will  you  trust  me  to  re- 
turn to  you?" 

"Yes,  if  you  say  you  will  return." 

"After  your  treatment  of  me?" 

"  It  is  not  my  treatment,  but  your  word,  that  I 
trust." 

The  girl  laughed,  and  ran  half-way  up  the  stair, 
then,  with  her  hand  against  the  wall,  she  turned 
round  and  looked  down  at  him. 

"  Monsieur,"  she  said,  "  while  I  am  absent  re- 
build speedily  your  faith  in  your  powers  of  per- 
suasion. You  have  so  far  convinced  me  that, 
whether  you  are  genuine  or  not,  I  shall  connive  at 
your  escape.  Unbolt  the  door,  therefore;  go  to 
the  tall  flag-pole  that  rises  from  the  courtyard  and 


THE    ESCAPE    FROM    THE    CONVENT   -145 

overtops  our  highest  building;  cut  the  rope  that  is 
riven  through  the  pulley  at  the  top,  draw  it  com- 
pletely away,  coil  it  up,  return  to  this  hall,  and 
wait  for  me." 

With  that  she  disappeared.  Cardillac  did  not 
wonder  at  the  obscurity  of  the  hall  when  he  had 
once  more  emerged  into  the  courtyard.  Night 
was  falling  rapidly,  and  before  many  minutes  were 
past  complete  darkness  would  be  upon  the  land- 
scape, but  he  knew  that,  once  clear  of  the  convent, 
the  gloom  would  facilitate  his  escape.  Correctly 
he  surmised  that  the  girl  intended  him  to  descend 
from  one  of  the  small  gable  windows  in  the  third 
story,  if  such  windows  were  in  existence  at  the  back 
of  the  convent,  as  they  were  at  the  sides.  All 
sounds  of  battering  at  the  door  had  ceased,  and 
Cardillac  conjectured  that  some  other  plan  was 
about  to  be  adopted,  so  the  sooner  he  was  quit  of 
the  place  the  better. 

Taking  with  him  the  long  rope,  he  passed  under 
the  cloisters  and  re-entered  the  hall,  where,  to  his 
astonishment,  he  found  Marie  waiting  for  him. 
She  had  a  cloak  thrown  over  her  arm,  and  some 
kind  of  covering  on  her  head  which  the  dimness 
rendered  indistinct. 

"  You  haven't  been  long  away,"  he  said  in  sur- 
prise. 

"  No ;  mademoiselle  makes  up  her  mind  quickly. 
She  refuses  to  see  you." 


146  CARDILLAC 

"  What  nonsense !  "  cried  Cardillac  impatiently. 
"  You  have  not  had  time  fully  to  explain  to  her 
the  situation.  I  must  see  her." 

"  That  is  impossible,  monsieur.  You  cannot 
enter  my  lady's  apartment  without  her  permission, 
and  in  such  a  crisis  it  would  be  folly  to  make  the 
attempt.  You  should  know  by  this  time  that  the 
doors  of  the  convent  are  not  so  easily  broken  down 
as  an  outsider  might  think.  Mademoiselle  never- 
theless asks  a  favour  of  you,  which  is  that  you 
escort  me  forthwith  to  Blois,  where  I  am  to  take 
service  with  the  Queen.  This  departure  it  was  in- 
tended I  should  attempt,  even  had  you  not  arrived, 
but  my  lady  says  if  you  will  convey  me  faithfully 
and  in  safety  to  Blois,  she  will  guarantee  that 
when  her  father  learns  you  have  obeyed  his  daugh- 
ter's wishes,  you  will  be  paid  all  the  money  he 
promised." 

"Oh,  the  money!  I'm  not  thinking  of  the 
money.  The  thing  that  troubles  my  mind  is  a 
father's  disappointment  and  a  daughter's  wilful- 
ness." 

"  A  father  may  forget,  monsieur,  that  a  daugh- 
ter like  mademoiselle  is  quite  capable  of  making 
plans  of  her  own.  Will  you  then  accompany  me 
to  Blois,  monsieur?" 

"What  you  suggest  is  impossible,  Marie,"  said 
Cardillac  despondingly.  "  I  could  take  you  to 
Montrichard,  or  perhaps  through  to  Loches,  but 


THE    ESCAPE    FROM   THE    CONVENT     147 

Blois  is  overrun  with  King's  men  and  contami- 
nated with  Luynes's  spies." 

"  Mademoiselle  de  Montreuil  does  not  min- 
imise the  danger  of  the  expedition,"  said  Marie, 
in  very  subdued  tones,  her  eyes  modestly  cast  down 
as  the  young  man  peered  at  her  through  the  dusk,  u 
"  I  gave  to  mademoiselle  so  vivid  an  account  of 
the  bravery  of  Monsieur  de  Cardillac  that  she  is 
quite  confident  he  will  accomplish  the  task  if  he 
promises  to  do  so." 

"  My  good  girl,  you  haven't  had  time  to  give  a 
vivid  account  of  anything !  " 

"  Monsieur  has  been  longer  in  getting  the  rope 
than  he  supposes,  and  there  was  time  for 
mademoiselle  to  say  at  least  that  she  reposes  per- 
fect confidence  in  Monsieur  de  Cardillac,  and 
entrusts  me  to  his  guardianship  with  the  utmost 
belief  in  his  honour  as  .a  gentleman." 

Cardillac  stood  very  erect,  braced  back  his 
shoulders,  and  drew  a  long  breath. 

"  I  should  like  very  much  to  see  this  young 
lady,"  he  said  at  last. 

"I  was  to  tell  you,  monsieur,  that  she  regrets 
the  deprivation  as  much  as  you,  but  I  was  to  ado! 
that  she  hopes  soon  to  have  the  pleasure  of  meet- 
ing you  in  her  father's  house." 

"  Oh,  well,  if,  as  seems  to  be  the  case,  you 
have  depicted  my  good  qualities,  whatever  they  are, 
as  faithfully  as  you  have  convinced  me  of  made- 


148  CARDILLAC 

moiselle's  amiability,  I  have  been  lucky  in  my  mes- 
senger." 

"  And  now,  monsieur,  if  you  will  be  good  enough 
to  follow  me,  I  may  be  able  to  show  you  a  path 
to  liberty." 

The  girl  turned  and  began  to  mount  the  dark 
stairway. 

"  Mademoiselle,"  said  the  gallant  Cardillac,  "  I 
will  follow  you  with  pleasure,  even  if  you  lead  me 
in  the  opposite  direction,  to  imprisonment." 

"  The  saints  are  good  to  me  at  last,"  Cardillac 
had  said  when  he  locked  the  door,  but  he  little 
dreamed  how  favourably  they  were  inclined.  He 
did  not  know  that,  under  the  stern  rule  of  the 
Abbess,  even  so  highly  placed  a  lady  as  Made- 
moiselle de  Montreuil  was  not  allowed  the  luxury 
of  a  maid,  and  thus  it  was  the  daughter  of  the 
Duke  whom  he  followed  up  the  convent  stairs. 


CHAPTER   XIII 

A    WILDERNESS     FOR    TWO 

MARIE  DUCHAMPS  was  evidently  as 
familiar  with  every  turn  and  corner  of 
those  corridors  as  was  the  blind  girl 
with  the  darkened  thoroughfares  of  Pompeii. 
Frequently  she  was  compelled  to  pause  and 
give  directions  to  the  stumbling  young  man 
in  her  wake.  The  vast  building  was  oppressively 
silent,  and  seemed  deserted.  They  mounted  two 
more  stairways,  and  finally  a  ladder,  up 
which  Cardillac  preceded  his  guide,  that  he 
might  push  open  the  trap-door  that  led  into 
a  long  attic.  Here  they  found  the  obscurity 
less  dense,  because  of  a  window  at  either  gable 
end;  the  eastern  one  looking  out  upon  a  court- 
yard, while  that  to  the  westward  gave  a  view  over 
the  dense  forest.  Towards  the  latter  the  two  made 
their  way. 

The  oblong  aperture  was  unprovided  with  either 
sash  or  glass,  and  could  be  closed  in  stormy 
weather  by  a  stout  wooden  door,  which  in  sum- 
mer, however,  was  left  open  for  the  sake  of  the 
light,  for  the  raftered  apex  was  used  as  a  rough 

149 


ISO  CARDILLAC 

storehouse  for  odds  and  ends,  boxes,  bales  and 
what-not.  Cardillac,  with  his  hand  against  the 
side  of  the  opening,  peered  down  the  cliff  to  the 
sward  beneath,  then,  turning,  shook  out  the  coils 
of  his  rope  on  the  floor.  Next  he  unbuckled  his 
sword  belt,  wrapped  belt  and  scabbard  in  his 
cloak,  and  flung  the  bundle  to  the  ground.  Pick- 
ing up  the  end  of  the  rope,  he  looked  at  the 
girl. 

"You  will  not  be  frightened?"  he  asked. 

"  No,  if  the  knot  be  securely  tied." 

"  Where  a  handsome  woman  is  concerned," 
laughed  the  young  man,  "  I  may  be  depended  upon 
to  tie  a  knot  that  will  hold." 

The  girl  laughed  in  company. 

"  It  is  to  your  skill  that  the  handsome  woman 
looks  for  security,  monsieur." 

Cardillac  threw  an  end  of  the  rope  over  one  of 
the  rafters,  drawing  on  the  cord  until  the  two 
sections  were  of  equal  length.  He  flung  wide  the 
loose  ends,  and  saw  that  they  reached  the  ground 
with  plenty  to  spare.  The  flag-pole  from  which 
he  had  taken  it  extended  beyond  the  convent  roof, 
and  a  double  line  had  flapped  against  the  pole. 
Pulling  up  the  twin  cords,  he  deftly  and  speedily 
tied  their  ends  round  the  slim  waist  of  the  girl, 
while  she  held  up  her  hands  out  of  the  way  and 
watched  him  with  a  smile  and  a  blush  that  were 
very  attractive  in  the  glimmering  dusk. 


A   WILDERNESS    FOR    TWO          151 

"  I  think  I  shall  toss  my  cloak  to  the  winds 
also,"  said  she  when  he  had  finished. 

"  And  all  fear  with  it,"  he  suggested. 

"  And  all  fear  with  it,"  she  repeated. 

The  cloak  fluttered  down  to  the  ground,  and 
Cardillac,  picking  up  its  owner,  lowered  her  gently 
into  space. 

"  The  ledge  is  wide,"  he  whispered,  "  and  there 
is  no  danger  of  your  striking  the  wall.  Hold  the 
rope  tightly  with  your  hands,  and  never  mind  if 
you  whirl  round  two  or  three  times." 

An  instant  later  she  was  safely  on  the  ground, 
and  had  the  knot  unloosened  before  he  could  make 
the  suggestion. 

"  A  capable  little  person,"  muttered  Cardillac 
to  himself,  and  drawing  on  his  stout  leathern 
gauntlets,  he  slipped  down  the  rope  almost  as  if 
he  were  falling,  checking  the  girl's  little  outcry 
of  dismay  by  landing  as  lightly  as  if  he  were  a 
feather  from  his  own  hat.  He  now  pulled  the 
rope  down  from  the  rafter,  coiling  it  quickly  as 
he  did  so. 

"  It  is  just  as  well,"  he  said,  "  to  leave  no  trace 
of  our  descent.  The  guessing  how  we  escaped 
may  add  some  interest  to  the  monotony  of  con- 
ventual life.  You  wait  here,"  he  continued, 
"  while  I  reconnoitre.  I  must  get  my  horse  if 
I  can." 

He  tiptoed  to  the  southwest  corner  of  the  con- 


152  CARDILLAC 

vent,  and  holding  his  hat  in  his  hand  peered 
round.  No  one  was  in  sight  along  the  southern 
flank  of  the  great  building.  Without  relaxing 
his  alertness  in  the  least,  he  skirted  the  southern 
wall,  and  so  came  to  the  southeast  corner.  Here 
he  surreptitiously  scrutinised  the  eastern  front  of 
the  convent,  where,  free  of  the  forest,  it  was  still 
twilight. 

He  could  not  understand  the  silence,  and  won- 
dered what  had  become  of  the  besiegers.  A  glance 
showed  him  that  the  carriage  and  four  horses 
had  disappeared,  probably,  to  take  the  lieutenant 
back  to  Beaugency,  that  he  might  return  with 
materials  for  forcing  an  entrance  into  the  court- 
yard. A  solitary  sentry  was  pacing  up  and  down, 
a  light,  short  musketoon  over  his  shoulder,  which, 
with  his  uniform,  showed  that  he  was  a  dis- 
mounted cavalryman. 

The  young  man  surmised  quite  correctly  that 
it  was  a  squad  of  mounted  men  the  -sergeant  had 
brought  up  from  Beaugency  on  the  arrival  of  the 
messenger  from  Paris.  The  galloping  horses  had 
saved  time.  This  conjecture  was  confirmed,  as 
his  eyes  became  more  accustomed  to  the  obscurity, 
by  seeing  a  group  of  horses  far  down  the  road 
that  led  to  Chateaudun. 

Evidently  the  lieutenant  expected  that  if  Car- 
dillac  escaped,  he  would  make  for  Chateaudun 
and  thus  to  Paris  along  the  route  by  which  he 


A    WILDERNESS    FOR    TWO          153 

had  come,  and  these  men  were  stationed  to  inter- 
cept him,  or  to  follow  him  if  he  broke  into  the 
road  farther  beyond.  The  young  man  was  con- 
vinced that  no  thought  had  been  given  to  the 
Blois  route,  nor  to  the  road  leading  back  into 
Beaugency,  as  the  fugitive  was  not  likely  to  make 
in  either  direction,  knowing  that  the  country 
swarmed  with  the  enemy. 

What  was  more  to  the  purpose,  Cardillac  saw 
his  own  horse,  unattended,  cropping  the  grass  in 
front  of  the  convent,  less  than  twenty  yards  from 
him,  yet  he  dared  not  steal  out  into  the  open  and 
capture  it,  because  of  the  watchful  sentry.  The 
horse  was  a  stranger  to  him,  ridden  for  the  first 
time  by  its  new  owner  that  morning,  therefore  he 
feared  it  would  not  come  to  his  call,  even  if  he 
ventured  to  break  the  stillness  of  the  evening; 
still,  like  a  good  horseman,  he  had  a  way  with 
animals,  and  they  all  liked  him. 

The  case  was  desperate,  for  at  any  moment  the 
carriage  might  return,  and  even  in  the  shadow  of 
the  wall  he  was  in  danger  of  being  recognised. 
He  marched  quickly  to  the  south  a  dozen  steps, 
and  stood  where  he  could  see  his  horse,  but  where 
he  could  not  be  seen  by  the  sentry  at  the  gate- 
house. He  whistled  very  slightly,  and  at  first 
the  horse  took  no  notice,  but  by  and  by  raised 
its  head  and  pricked  forward  its  ears.  Cardillac 
held  out  his  hand,  and  chirruped  encouragingly. 


CARDILLAC 

The  horse  took  a  hesitating  step  forward,  stood 
still  again,  then,  with  a  little  whinny  that  made 
cold  chills  run  up  Cardillac's  back,  it  walked 
directly  towards  him,  with  signs  of  recognition  and 
delight.  He  patted  its  neck  affectionately,  and 
led  it  round  to  the  western  side  of  the  convent, 
and  so  to  the  waiting  girl,  where  he  shook  out 
his  cloak,  buckled  on  his  belt,  then  drew  the  cloak 
over  the  saddle. 

"  Do  you  think  you  can  hold  yourself  on?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,"  replied  the  girl,  "  but  aren't  you 
going  to  ride?  I  can  then  sit  behind  you." 

"  I  fear  we  cannot  ride  together  through  the 
forest.  I  will  lead  the  horse." 

With  a  little  assistance,  she  sprang  into  place, 
sitting  sideways  on  the  somewhat  difficult  perch. 
He  threw  her  own  cloak  over  her  shoulders,  then, 
taking  the  bridle  on  his  arm,  led  the  way  into  the 
dark  density  of  the  wood. 

The  traversing  of  the  forest  proved  to  be  not 
only  formidable  but  sometimes  dangerous.  The 
great  tract  of  timber  land  which  extended  from 
above  Beaugency  to  Blois  was  no  park-like  pleas- 
aunce  through  which  horsemen  might  hunt  the 
deer  or  the  wild  boar,  but  a  primeval  forest  that 
seemed  pathless,  where  great  trees  lay  as  they  had 
fallen,  blocking  the  way,  whilst  here  and  there 
were  encountered  extensive  thickets  of  brushwood 
that  seemed  impenetrable. 


A    WILDERNESS    FOR    TWO          155 

The  sword,  not  the  axe,  was  claiming  the  atten- 
tion of  Frenchmen  at  this  period,  and  the  wood- 
lands had  grown  wild.  The  place  seemed  desolate 
of  either  a  chopper's  hut  or  a  charcoal  burner's 
camp.  High  above  them  the  foliage  of  the 
sombre  pines  shut  out  even  an  occasional  glimpse 
of  the  summer  night  sky,  and  not  a  star  could  be 
seen.  Now  and  then  the  girl  made  an  outcry,  as 
she  was  nearly  swept  from  her  horse  by  low- 
hanging  branches,  and  ever  and  anon  Cardillac 
had  to  stop  the  animal,  and  break  through  by 
another  route. 

But  what  troubled  him  most  was  that  he  had 
lost  all  sense  of  direction,  and  knew  he  might  at 
any  moment  emerge  once  more  near  the  convent. 
He  said  nothing  to  his  frightened  companion  of 
his  dilemma,  but  strode  on  as  best  he  could. 

At  last  she  cried: 

"  I  must  get  down  and  walk  with  you.  Riding 
is  impossible." 

Horse  and  man  stood  still.  Cardillac  held  out 
a  hand  to  her  which  she  could  not  see,  as  she 
sprang  stumbling  into  the  underbrush. 

"  I  am  afraid,"  he  said,  "we  must  stop  here 
till  daylight." 

With  an  exclamation  of  dismay  she  saicl: 

"  How  far  do  you  think  we  have  come  from 
the  convent?  " 

"  I  have  not  the  remotest  notion,  Marie.     You 


156  CARDILLAC 

see,  there  has  been  little  of  woodcraft  in  my  edu- 
cation, and  while  I  could  thread  my  way  through 
Paris,  these  overgrown  forest  glades  baffle  me." 

"  You  mean  you  have  lost  your  way?  " 

"  My  dear  sweetheart,  there  was  no  way  to 
lose." 

"  Sir,"  she  cried,  with  a  note  of  anger  in  her 
voice,  "  you  must  address  me  respectfully.  I  can- 
not allow  you  to  speak  to  me  in  that  manner." 

"  Tush,  tush !  "  cried  the  young  man  impa- 
tiently. "  I  wasn't  thinking  of  you  at  all,  but  of 
our  quandary.  I  daresay  many  a  hind  has  spoken 
to  you  more  familiarly  than  I  did." 

"  Now  you  insult  me,  sir  I "  cried  the  girl,  with 
great  indignation. 

"  My  excellent  Marie,"  rejoined  Cardillac 
wearily,  "  if  you  mean  to  arouse  my  sympathy  in 
that  you  are  here  helpless  and  alone  with  a 
stranger,  somewhere  in  the  forest  of  Blois,  then, 
charming  girl,  consider  it  done.  You  possess  my 
sympathy,  and  if  I  assure  you  in  addition  you  are 
as  safe  as  in  that  ugly  convent  we  left  a  while 
ag°>  Y°u  would  not  believe  me,  neither  would  any- 
body else,  nor  would  it  be  true.  But  for  your 
consolation  let  me  present  you  with  the  proper 
view  of  our  situation,  and  the  proportionate  peril 
in  which  we  stand, 'and,  talking  of  standing,  may 
I  offer  you  a  seat,  Mademoiselle  Marie?  " 

In  the  darkness,  while  he  talked,  Cardillac  had 


A   WILDERNESS    FOR    TWO          157 

been  fumbling  about  his  horse,  and  now  he  lifted 
the  saddle  from  the  animal's  back,  and  placed  it 
on  the  tangled,  briar-grown  ground. 

"  Marie  Duchamps,"  he  said,  groping  for  her 
and  not  finding  her,  "  is  it  possible  that  you  have 
departed  in  dudgeon  for  your  dungeon?  I  am 
searching  the  empty  air  for  your  hand,  that  may 
lead  you  a  few  steps  to  a  place  of  comparative 
comfort  in  this  bewildering  wilderness." 

There  was  a  pause  for  a  few  moments,  and  at 
last  the  deep  silence  was  broken  by  a  contented 
sigh  from  the  horse,  who  apparently  accepted  the 
situation  with  equanimity  and  sank  in  the  crackling 
bushes  to  his  night's  rest. 

"Marie!"  cried  Cardillac;  then,  after  listen- 
ing a  while :  "  Marie !  "  he  shouted  more  sharply. 
"Fentre  de  ma  vie!  has  the  girl  vanished,  and 
have  I  been  wasting  my  eloquence  unheard  and 
unappreciated?  This  is  the  final  calamity  in  a 
day  of  disasters !  " 

A  ripple  of  laughter  indicated  that  not  only 
was  the  girl  there,  but  that  her  critical  mood  had 
changed. 

"  I  thought  you  were  gone,"  he  said. 

"Are  you  sorry  to  find  I  am  still  on  your 
hands,  monsieur?" 

"  You  are  anything  but  that,"  he  replied.  "  My 
hands  are  vainly  searching  the  darkness  for  you. 
Ah,  there  you  are!  Just  a  step  this  way — be 


158  CARDILLAC 

careful  of  the  brambles.  That's  right!  Here 
is  my  folded  cloak  for  a  cushion,  the  horse's 
saddle  for  a  seat,  and  this  ancient  tree  for  the 
back  of  your  chair.  We  are  helpless  for  the  night 
and  must  make  the  best  of  it.  It  would  be  folly 
to  tire  ourselves  further  by  fighting  against  the 
odds  that  confront  us,  for  until  dawn  indicates 
the  east  we  cannot  with  surety  travel  to  the  west." 

"  In  this  gloomy  circumstance  you  were  about 
to  offer  me  some  consolation,  monsieur?" 

"  Ah,  yes,  I  had  forgotten.  If  we  were  inter- 
cepted, surrounded,  captured,-  our  fates,  Marie 
carissima,  would  differ.  The  stolen  rope  which, 
like  a  monk,  I  wear  wound  round  me,  would  take 
on  a  smaller  loop  and  a  greater  altitude.  It  would 
encircle  my  neck  instead  of  my  waist.  Then  short 
shrift,  and  farewell  France.  Now,  most  beau- 
teous Marie,  you  may  not  credit  the  fact,  but  from 
what  I  know  of  my  own  neck,  it  would  certainly 
prefer  to  be  encircled  by  the  warm,  soft  arms 
of  a  fair  girl  than  by  the  cold,  taut  environment 
of  a  rope.  I  hope  my  simile  of  the  arms  does 
not  disturb  thzjt  modesty  which  I  have  already 
received  assurance  you  possess,  mademoiselle?" 

"  Oh,  no,  monsieur;  indeed,  I  am  beginning  to 
understand  you.  I  am  from  the  north,  but  you 
are  from  the  south.  You  speak,  therefore,  with 
poetical  license,  and  view  events  through  a  ro' 
mantic  haze  which  is  denied  to  us  more  practical 


A    WILDERNESS    FOR    TWO          159 

creatures  of  the  colder  region.  I  daresay  a  man 
from  Normandy  might  feel  more  deeply  than  a 
poet  of  Gascony,  but  the  language  of  the  latter 
would  be  as  a  rich  and  beautiful  flower-garden 
compared  with  the  bleak  granite  cliffs  by  the  sea. 
I  devoutly  trust,  monsieur,  that  you  will  speedily 
return  to  that  soft  pressure  whose  delight  you 
have  often  experienced." 

Cardillac  laughed  drowsily,  but  with  a  certain 
indication  of  content. 

"  Now,  Marie,  if  a  man  had  said  that !  Sup- 
pose this  man  sat  at  a  wooden  table  opposite  me  in 
a  tavern.  I  would  raise  my  flagon  and  wink  at 
him,  or  I  might  smite  him  in  confidential  manner 
on  the  back.  But  with  a  woman  one  may  speak 
the  truth." 

"  Is  that  your  idea  of  women,  monsieur  ?  " 


CHAPTER   XIV 

BROKEN    SOLITUDE 

SURELY,  surely.  With  women  falsehood 
is  impossible,  and  so  I  will  confess  to 
you  what  no  man's  sword  could  draw 
from  me — that  when  I  raised  my  flagon  I 
would  drink  to  the  one  woman  in  the  world 
whose  arms  have  been  round  my  neck,  and 
that  woman  is  my  poor  mother,  whom  I  left 
in  tears  but  a  few  short  months  ago.  In 
daylight,  Marie,  I  swagger  and  pretend  I  am  a 
man ;  woe  to  him  who  doubts  it !  But  in  the  dark 
and  in  the  silence  I  confess  that  after  all  I  am  but 
a  boy,  and  when  a  short  time  since  I  spoke  care- 
lessly to  you,  my  thoughts  were  far  away  at  my 
home  in  Gascony,  and  for  the  moment  I  was 
wishing  you  and  I  were  safe  within  its  hospitable 
walls,  instead  of  being  immured  in  this  dismal  but 
enchanted  wood." 

"  I  am  sorry  I  resented  your  phrase,"  said  the 
girl  very  quietly.  "As  I  told  you,  I  am  from 
the  north.  You  must  make  allowances." 

"  Indeed,  you  treated  me  as  I  deserved,  Marie, 
and  it  is  to  reassure  your  mind  I  am  talking  so 

160 


BROKEN    SOLITUDE  161 

much  now  about  myself.  I  should  like  you  to 
flatter  me  by  believing  that  you  are  as  safe  in  this 
forest  as  if  you  were  in  the  Convent  of  the  Sacred 
Heart." 

"  I  am  sure  of  it,"  she  said  almost  inaudibly. 

"  You  need  not  rest  your  confidence  on  any- 
thing so  lofty  and  ethereal  as  my  deep  respect  for 
women  of  all  classes,  but  take  it  on  the  lower 
plane  of  my  own  safety.  That  is  what  I  wish 
to  show  you.  As  I  told  you  in  the  convent,  I  am 
a  beast  at  bay.  We  are  talking  now  in  whispers. 
I  dare  not  risk  an  outcry  that  might  bring  upon 
me  an  overwhelming  force  of  my  enemy.  Do 
you  not  see,  mademoiselle,  that  I  dare  not  molest 
you  if  I  would?" 

'  Will  you  pardon  a  woman's  caprice,  monsieur, 
that,  even  though  she  may  be  from  the  north,  she 
prefers  to  rest  her  content  upon  the  higher  plane 
you  have  mentioned?" 

"Well,  I  am  glad  of  that,"  said  Cardillac 
simply.  "  And  now,  to  complete  your  further 
freedom  from  care,  I  predict  that,  if  you  are  cap- 
tured, your  sole  disadvantage  will  be  a  chuck  under." 
the  chin,  or  perhaps  a  kiss  snatched  by  a  gallant 
officer,  who  will  furnish  you  escort  wherever  you 
wish  to  go,  or  at  worst  send  you  back  to  mademoi- 
selle at  the  Sacred  Heart." 

Cardillac  was  now  treated  to  one  of  those  swift 
changes  of  mood  which  ever,  in  later  life,  baffled 


162  CARDILLAC 

him   where   women    were    concerned.     The   girl 
cried  out  with  intense  scorn: 

"  Sir,  you  spoil  everything  you  have  said  by 
your  vulgarity.  You  are  disrespectful  to  hint  that 
any  man  should  dare  to  treat  me  thus !  " 

"  Merciful  heaven,  Marie,  what  harm  in  a 
kiss?" 

"  Sir,  you  put  me  out  of  all  patience,  and  fur- 
thermore, I  would  have  you  know  that  I  am  not 
one  of  those  persons  who,  selfishly  assured  of  their 
own  safety,  would  thus  lead  a  man  to  his  death 
with  indifference.  I  could  not  have  such  a  catas- 
trophe on  my  conscience;  therefore,  sir,  we  part 
company  here." 

He  knew  she  had  arisen,  and  now  he  likewise 
got  on  his  feet,  wondering  what  evil  fate  had 
changed  the  softness  of  her  voice  to  the  clear, 
hard  ring  of  almost  tyrannical  decision. 

'  Your  way  lies  to  the  south,  mine  to  the  west. 
Untrammelled  by  me,  you  can  swim  your  horse 
across  the  Loire,  and  reach  Montrichard,  where 
you  w$  be  safe.  'Tis  less  than  seven  leagues 
from  here  to  Blois,  and,  as  you  quite  truthfully 
point  out,  I  shall  be  unmolested  on  the  road 
thither." 

Cardillac  laughed  quietly,  and  he  felt  that  his 
ill-timed  merriment  increased  the  resentment  of 
Marie  Duchamps. 

"Tempestuous  nymph  of  the  north,  prove  to 


BROKEN    SOLITUDE  163 

me  that  you  are  indeed  from  that  region.  Marie, 
point  out  the  north  to  me,  and  do  not  shrink  if  I 
come  close  enough  to  recognise  the  direction  of 
your  arm." 

"  'Tis  no  matter  for  that,  so  long  as  we  take 
separate  ways.  It  is  your  risk  to  find  the  south, 
and  mine  to  find  the  west.  You  would  have  gone 
in  safety  to  Montrichard,  had  I  not  deflected  your 
direction  to  Blois." 

"  You  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  matter,  my 
girl.  I  acted,  not  on  your  command,  but  under 
orders  from  Mademoiselle  de  Montreuil." 

"  True ;  but  nevertheless  on  my  account.  All 
that  mademoiselle  cares  is  that  I  should  reach 
Blois,  and  give  her  message  to  the  Queen.  I  am 
to  enter  the  service  of  the  imprisoned  Queen ;  that 
is  mademoiselle's  plan,  and  I  hope  to  connive  at 
Her  Majesty's  escape." 

"  How  strange  it  is  that  a  few  moments  ago 
we  were  speaking  in  whispers,  and  you  seemed  the 
most  reasonable  of  women.  Now  you  stand  there, 
and  actually  command  me  as  if  I  were  your  serf. 
I  think  you  fail  to  remember  that  our  positions 
are  the  reverse  of  what  your  manner  betokens.  I 
will  entertain  a  request  where  I  refuse  to  suffer  a 
command.  Pardon  me  for  pointing  out  that  I 
am  a  noble,  and  you  are •" 

"A  servant,"  snapped  Marie,  with  nevertheless 
a  lowering  of  her  tone. 


164,  CARDILLAC 

"  Precisely.  Now,  oblige  me,  Marie  Du- 
champs,  by  not  forcing  such  a  comparison  again. 
You  are  in  my  charge  until  you  are  safely  within 
the  walls  of  Blois.  I  shall  take  care  of  myself  and 
you  also.  When  I  spoke  of  my  danger  it  was  not 
that  I  feared  it,  but  merely  to  allay  your  own  ap- 
prehension, and  as  I  said  in  the  convent,  you  will 
obey  me,  or n  He  paused. 

"You  will  crush  me."  Again  she  finished  his 
sentence. 

"  You  incorrigible  termagant,  you  put  me  in  the 
attitude  of  coercing  a  woman — a  position  I  hate." 

There  was  no  answer  to  this,  for  the  tense  talk 
was  interrupted  by  a  deep  boom  like  the  report 
of  a  cannon,  and  the  echo  reverberated  in  low 
thunder  through  the  arches  of  the  forest.  Man 
and  maid  stood  there  together  a  few  moments  in 
breathless  silence. 

;' What  was  that?"  whispered  Marie,  with  a 
quaver  of  fear  in  her  voice.  "  Is  it  a  signal,  do 
you  think?  Are  they  about  to  search  the 
forest?" 

Cardillac  laughed  quietly. 

"  I  wish  them  luck  of  their  task,"  he  said. 
"No..  I  take  it  that  at  last  they  have  blown  in 
the  convent  door,  and  a  long  time  they  have  been 
about  it.  They  will  search  the  convent  before 
they  attempt  the  forest.  "Marie,  either  it  is  get- 
ting lighter,  or  my  eyes  have  become  accustomed  to 


BROKEN    SOLITUDE  165 

the  darkness.  I  see  you  much  more  plainly  than 
I  did  half  an  hour  ago,  and  I  can  even  recognise 
what  I  did  not  notice  in  the  daylight,  that  you  are 
very  beautiful,  Marie." 

''  Thank  you,  monsieur,"  said  the  girl  demurely, 
with  a  low  curtsey,  "  but  you  are  not  doing  justice 
to  your  own  powers  of  observation.  You  did 
notice  it  before,  and  were  kind  enough  to  mention 
it.  '  Handsome,'  I  think,  was  the  word  you  used, 
and  although  you  diluted  your  praise  with  such 
words  as  'vixen,'  'termagant'  and  what-not,  yet 
these  expressions  could  not  overcome  my  joy  at 
your  appreciation.  But  you  should  avoid  com- 
mitting yourself  further  until  you  have  seen  me 
in  the  daylight.  This  darkness  which  envelops 
us  is  very  deceptive.  I  am  beginning  to  see  you 
quite  plainly,  and  should  be  convinced  by  ap- 
pearances that  you  are  a  noble  and  courteous 
young  gentleman,  did  not  my  experience  with 
you  convince  me  of  the  contrary." 

"  Now,  Marie  Duchamps,"  cried  the  young 
man,  piqued,  "you  let  your  tongue  run  away  with 
you.  You  are  too  fond  of  hearing  yourself  talk.- 
Your  mistress  should  long  ago  have  repressed 
this  tendency  to  volubility,  and  not  left  to  me' that 
ungrateful  task." 

"  Oh,  monsieur,  you  are  much  more  capable 
than  she  to  effect  such  a  transformation,  because  it 
is  well  known  that  Gascony  is  the  province  of 


166  CARDILLAC 

silence.  It  is  as  difficult  to  cause  a  Gascon  to 
speak  as  to  provoke  him  to  fight." 

"  Marie  Duchamps,  you  are  uncivil!  The  Gas- 
cons have  their  good  points  like  other  people." 

"  Monsieur,  you  astonish  me.  Pray  mention 
even  one  of  those  good  points,  and  remove  your 
ban  of  silence,  that  I  may  proclaim  it  to  the  world. 
France  will  be  overjoyed  at  the  news." 

'  You  spiteful  little  devil !  "  muttered  Cardillac, 
with  clenched  teeth.  "Your  folly  has  almost 
driven  from  my  head  the  important  question  I 
wished  to  ask  you.  From  what  direction  did  that 
sound  come?  Stretch  forth  your  hand  and  indi- 
cate it." 

The  girl  pondered  with  bowed  head. 

"  I  do  not  know,"  she  said  at  last.  "  The  re- 
port of  the  petard  seemed  to  surround  us ;  to  come 
from  every  direction.  All  that  I  can  be  sure  of 
is  that  we  have  not  travelled  so  far  from  the  con- 
vent as  I  had  supposed." 

Cardillac  growled  his  disapproval  of  this  in- 
conclusive answer. 

"  If  you  did  not  scatter  your  wits  in  talk,"  he 
said,  "  but  kept  them  about  you,  there  might  be 
some  pleasure  in  your  company  and  some  assist- 
ance in  your  suggestions." 

Marie  raised  her  chin  haughtily. 

"  As  you  have  not  spoken  a  word  since  we  left 
the  convent,  perhaps  you  will  be  so  condescending 


BROKEN    SOLITUDE  167 

as  to  point  out  the  direction  from  which  the  sound 
came." 

Cardillac  gazed  around  him  helplessly,  quite 
palpably  nonplussed. 

"  If  I  could  do  that,"  he  said,  "  I  should  not 
have  needed  to  ask  you." 

"  To  ask  me  was  perfectly  proper,  monsieur, 
but  not  to  censure  me  because  I  am  unable  to  do 
what  you  yourself  cannot  accomplish." 

"  True,  true,  Marie.  You  are  in  the  right,  and 
I  beg  your  pardon.  You  do  hit  the  mark  some- 
times." 

The  only  reply  from  the  offended  girl  was  a 
contemptuous  sniff,  head  held  very  high  in  the 
air. 

"  It  is  strange,"  muttered  Cardillac,  "  that  so 
loud  a  roar  in  the  forest  at  night  should  give  such 
little  indication  of  direction.  I  suppose  a  true 
woodman  could  not  only  point  towards  the  spot, 
but  might  estimate  the  distance  as  well.  I  seem 
to  be  a  very  fool  of  the  forest." 

A  long,  deep  sigh  came  from*  Marie. 

"At  last,  at  last!"  she  murmured.  "  How 
cleverly  you  class  yourself." 

At  this  moment  something  engaged  Cardillac's 
attention,  causing  him  to  ignore  the  uncompli- 
mentary intimation  and  give  utterance  to  a  cry  of 
astonishment. 

"  Look,   look,   Marie !  "   he  shouted.     "  They 


168  CARDILLAC 

have  set  the  convent  on  fire!  See  the  red  light 
through  the  trees !  " 

"  Oh,  wise  and  excellent  guide.  What  you  see 
is  merely  a  sign  that  I  am  in  charge  of  a  lunatic. 
That,  monsieur,  is  the  red  and  rising  moon.  I 
have  watched  it  from  our  eastern  window  these 
three  nights  past.  'Tis  Luna,  come  to  look  after 
her  own,  monsieur." 

"  Then  indeed  is  she  welcome,  for  she  is  at 
least  a  beautiful  lady  of  silence.  She  gives  us  the 
east,  Marie  Duchamps,  and  if  your  guide  is 
muddle-headed,  the  moon  will  show  us  unerringly 
on  our  way." 

"  I  doubt  that,  monsieur.  When  the  moon  rises 
a  little  higher  the  rays  cannot  penetrate  the  foliage 
above  us,  and  we  will  sink  into  darkness  again." 

"  Nonsense,  Marie,  the  forest  became  lighter 
even  before  the  moon  appeared  above  the  hori- 
zon." 

"  Hush,"  whispered  the  girl.  "  Listen !  What 
was  that?  " 

It  needed  no  necromancer  to  fathom  the  cause 
of  her  alarm,  for  they  heard  approaching  the 
slow,  measured  tread  of  a  man,  not  travelling 
through  the  forest,  but  .pacing  a  hard  highroad, 
and  from  the  east  came. the  distant,  subdued  clat- 
ter of  horses'  'feet,  also  undoubtedly  on  the  same 
thoroughfare.  Cardillac  grasped  Marie  by  the 
wrist,  but  on  this  occasion  his  touch  was  gentle. 


BROKEN    SOLITUDE  169 

"  Now,  by  the  lead  image  that  Louis  XI  wor- 
shipped," he  said  in  a  low  voice,  "we  have  come 
within  a  few  yards  of  blundering  upon  the  pa- 
trolled national  road.  We've  wandered  too  far 
south.  Do  not  breathe  a  word,  Marie,  I  beg  of 
you." 

The  girl  shook  his  hand  impatiently  from  her 
wrist,  and  sat  down  upon  her  saddle,  with  her 
back  against  the  tree.  The  horse,  lying  full  length 
upon  the  ground,  raised  its  head  and  inclined 
forward  its  ears.  Cardillac  sank  down  beside  it, 
patted  its  neck,  ran  his  hand  along  its  forehead, 
and  muzzled  it  so  that  it  could  not  whinny. 

The  approaching  man  was  whistling  the  bars 
of  a  drinking  song.  When,  as  Cardillac  esti- 
mated, he  was  a  dozen  yards  distant,  whistling 
and  tramping  ceased,  there  was  the  rattle  of  a 
musketoon,  and  its  butt  for  a  moment  touched 
the  road's  surface.  The  patrol  was  making  ready 
for  the  rapidly  nearing  horsemen.  Cardillac's 
own  horse  made  a  slight  effort  to  move,  but  the 
young  man  leaned  over  upon  him,  and  laid  his 
cheek  against  the  horse's  head,  and  whispered  in 
its  ear.  The  horse  subsided  with  a  sigh  of  con- 
tent. The  red  moon  had  climbed,  a.  tree.  The 
girl,  leaning  back,  seemed  asleep. 


CHAPTER    XV 

ROMANCES  OF  THE  FOREST 

HALT,  messieurs!     Who  goes  there?" 
The   two   horsemen   instantly   pulled 
up  at  the  challenge. 

"  Friends,"  came  the  answer. 

"  Advance,  friends,  and  give  the  word." 

"  The  word  for  the  night  is  '  Montoire.'  " 

Again  the  butt  of  the  musketoon  came  to  the 
ground. 

"  Pass,  Montoire,"  said  the  patrol. 

"  How  far  westward  does  your  beat  extend, 
soldier?" 

"About  half  a  league,  monsieur." 

"How  long  have  you  been  on  duty?" 

"  Since  compline,  monsieur." 

"  Has  any  horseman  passed  you  on  the  way  to 
Blois?" 

"  Not  one,  monsieur." 

'You  have  seen  nothing  of  a  young  man  rathef 
gaily  dressed;  a  gentleman  with  a  sword  by  his 
side,  slight  moustache,  from  twenty  to  twenty-two 
years  of  age?  " 

"No,  monsieur." 

170 


ROMANCES    OF   THE    FOREST       171 

"  Thank  you,  soldier,  we  will  not  detain  you  any 
longer." 

The  stolid  footsteps  retreated  towards  the  east. 

"  I  think  I  shan't  go  any  farther  with  you, 
Francois.  You  have  a  clear  road  in  front  of  you, 
a  charming  night  around  you,  and  a  full  moon 
at  your  back.  I'll  return  to  Beaugency,  and  if 
there's  any  news,  a  courier  shall  be  sent  to  you 
at  Blois.  But  I  am  sure  you  are  quite  wrong  in 
thinking  he  would  make  for  Blois.  That  would 
be  a  fool's  trick,  and  Cardillac's  no  fool,  as  is 
shown  by  his  treatment  of  Lieutenant  Defour." 
And  at  the  mention  of  this  name  both  men  laughed 
heartily. 

"  I  wish  I  had  seen  the  young  devil ! "  cried  the 
man  called  Francois.  "  Then  I  should  be  better 
able  to  describe  him.  The  very  fact  that  you  are 
all  convinced  he  will  make  for  Paris,  and  the 
chance  that  he  knows  this,  inclines  me  to  think 
he  will  try  either  Blois  or  Montrichard,  where  he 
said  he  was  going.  I  believe  that  if  he'd  once 
got  the  lady,  he  would  have  made  off  with  her 
somewhere  else." 

"You  forget,  Frangois,  that  he  had  demanded 
and  obtained  an  escort  of  four  of  our  men." 

"That's  no  matter,  Pol.  The  four  men  would 
have  been  under  his  command,  and  half-way  to 
Montrichard  he  might  have  dismissed  them,  and 
struck  off  for  Gascony  with  the  girl.  You  surely 


172  CARDILLAC 

don't  swallow  that  father  story,  Pol?  Why,  no 
father  in  France  is  such  a  fool  as  to  send  a  gay 
young  spark  after  a  raving  beauty  like  Mademoi- 
selle Therese." 

In  the  darkness  Cardillac  saw  that  Marie  Du- 
champs  had  abandoned  her  reclining  attitude,  and 
was  sitting  up  very  straight,  listening  intently.  He 
could  not  see  her  features,  but  at  times  her  eyes 
seemed  to  flash  in  the  darkness  like  a  pair  of 
sparkling  diamonds,  and  once  or  twice  during  the 
conversation  a  quivering  gasp  indicated  a  rising 
anger,  until  Cardillac  feared  the  impulsive  crea- 
ture would  speak  out. 

"  Be  careful,"  he  whispered.  "  It  is  nothing 
to  you.  They  are  speaking  of  mademoiselle." 

"  I  tell  you,  Pol,  it's  a  love  story.  Mademoi- 
selle Therese  and  this  young  gallant  have  met  be- 
fore. I've  seen  the  girl  in  Paris,  and,  upon  my 
word,  Pol,  I  sympathise  with  young  Cardillac, 
that  he  should  risk  his  neck  on  so  dangerous  but 
delightful  an  enterprise.  Why,  you  people  at 
Beaugency  are  as  credulous  as  school-boys.  You 
are  well  led  by  a  stick  like  Lieutenant  Defour. 
To  credit  for  a  moment  that  the  stern  old  Duke 
de  Montreuil  should  allow  his  daughter  to  go 
dashing  across  the  country  at  midnight  with  this 
young  fellow,  who  knows  all  the  villainies  of 
Paris,  from  the  slums  to  the  Court,  and  is  evidently 
the  very  devil  among  women " 


ROMANCES    OF    THE    FOREST       173 

Cardiliac  sat  up  with  a  muttered  oath,  and  now 
the  girl  leaned  forward  to  him,  pointing  to  his 
horse,  which  too  evidently  wished  to  greet  the 
animals  of  whose  neighbourhood  it  was  aware. 
The  young  man  reclined  upon  the  prone  horse 
just  in  time,  soothing  it  to  a  continuance  of  its 
quietude. 

"  Oh,  no,  my  son,  this  graduate  from  the  court 
of  Venus  in  Paris  isn't  taking  midnight  trips  with 
a  charming  girl  simply  to  please  the  old  man.  He 
is  equally  against  King,  and  father,  and  abbess, 
and  I'll  wager  my  sword  that  if  Cardiliac  has 
got  out  of  that  convent,  and  is  once  more  in  his 
saddle,  she  is  riding  behind  him,  right  glad  to 
hold  herself  there,  with  her  arm  around  his  waist, 
and  a  sweet  kiss  passed  over  his  shoulder  now 
and  then,  as  an  instalment  on  account  of  raptures 
that  are  to  come  later." 

"  Oh,  the  brute !  Oh,  the  brute !  "  muttered  the 
girl,  clenching  her  little  fists  in  rage. 

"  Hush,  hush,  hush  1 "  pleaded  Cardiliac. 
"  Close  your  ears  and  don't  listen,  you  silly  little 
jade,  but  in  any  case  keep  quiet.  It  has  nothing 
to  do  with  you,  and  I  never  saw  mademoiselle  in 
my  life.  I  am  the  person  they  are  slandering,  so 
keep  quiet !  " 

She  leaned  back  against  the  tree,  and  put  her 
hands  up  to  her  ears,  but  that  seemed  ineffective, 
for  they  came  down  very  shortly  after. 


174  CARDILLAC 

'  You  are  romancing,  Frangois,  and  I  have  no 
doubt  at  all  but  that  Cardillac  is  still  within  the 
walls  of  the  convent.  Your  imagination  runs  away 
with  you,  or  perhaps  you  did  not  know  that  just 
before  we  left  Beaugency  further  information 
had  come  from  Chateaudun  that  settles  the  ques- 
tion. Another  messenger  from  Paris  travelled 
by  the  Vendome  road,  and  we  learned  that  Cardil- 
lac and  the  Duke  de  Montreuil  left  Paris  in  a  car- 
riage together;  that  Cardillac  himself  was  on  the 
most  intimate  terms  wijh  the  duke,  and  the  cross- 
examination  of  the  duke's  own  servants,  now  im- 
prisoned in  Paris,  has  revealed  that  the  duke 
showed  the  utmost  friendliness  towards  Cardillac, 
and  furnished  him  with  money  and  horse  to  carry 
out  the  project. 

"  I  imagine  that  something  very  definite  is  going 
to  be  done  by  the  Queen's  partisans,  and  that  the 
duke  will  take  any  risk,  no  matter  how  desperate, 
to  get  his  daughter  out  of  the  hands  of  the  enemy, 
and  into  his  own,  before  hostilities  break  out. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  her  father  trusts  Cardillac 
completely,  and  indeed,  from  the  air  of  the  young 
man  as  I  saw  him,  that  trust  is  not  misplaced. 
Cardillac  is  a  gentleman,  and  he  is  too  recently 
from  Gascony  to  have  been  yet  contaminated  by 
Paris.  The  Duke  de  Montreuil  must  have  had 
some  striking  testimony  in  favour  of  his  honesty, 
and  if  it  hadn't  been  for  that  old  abbess,  Car- 


ROMANCES    OF    THE    FOREST       175 

dillac  would  have  made  off  with  the  girl,  and  at 
this  moment  would  have  been  somewhere  between 
here  and  Montrichard.  It  is  also  known  that 
Cardillac  and  Mademoiselle  de  Montreuil  have 
never  met  so  you  see,  my  dear  Francois,  you  will 
have  to  turn  your  romancing  in  another  direc- 
tion." 

"  You  think  he  is  still  in  the  convent,  then?  " 

"Yes,  I  do." 

"Don't  they  know  by  this  time  whether  he  is 
or  not?" 

"  I  don't  think  they'll  know  anything  definite 
until  to-morrow.  You  see,  her  ancient  royal  high- 
ness, the  abbess,  is  driving  poor  Defour  to  his 
wits'  end.  Defour  wished  her  to  take  refuge 
for  the  night  in  the  village,  but  she  absolutely  re- 
fused to  budge.  It  was  she  who  ordered  the 
blowing  in  of  the  convent  door,  and  he  could 
hardly  get  her  far  enough  away  to  be  out  of 
danger  from  the  explosion. 

"The  moment  the  wood  was  rent,  and  the 
masonry  crumbled  down,  she  marched  in  over  the 
smoking  debris,  like  a  conqueror  entering  a  cap- 
tured town,  and  she  would  not  let  Defour  or  any 
of  his  men  come  in  to  prosecute ( the  search.  She 
is  going  to  have  eyery  nook  and  corner  of  the 
convent  examined,  and  will  herself  take  Cardillac^ 
and  march  him  through  the  breach  to  the  custody 
of  his  executioners.  It  seems  in  her  present  tern- 


176  CARDILLAC 

per  she  is  like  to  hang  the  poor  young  man  from 
the  iron-work  above  the  well." 

"  I  suppose,  Pol,  that,  whatever  happens,  Car- 
dillac  is  doomed.  If  he  remains  inside  the  con- 
vent, he  falls  into  the  hands  of  the  abbess,  and  if 
he  wins  his  way  outside,  he  is  sure  to  be  taken 
by  the  military.  If  I  were  confronted  by  such 
alternatives,  I'd  surrender  to  the  soldiers  rather 
than  to  that  sinister  old  woman.  I'd  then  be  sure 
of  a  quick  and  easy  death;  for  I  suspect  Her 
Royal  Highness  of  keeping  a  private  torture 
chamber  on  the  premises." 

"  Yes,  and  I'll  warrant  you  she  would  enjoy 
putting  it  to  use.  By  the  way,  Francois,  did  you 
ever  hear  the  legend,  which  is  quite  in  your  ro- 
mantic line,  that  in  the  days  of  her  youth  this 
lady  was  a  special  favourite  with  the  late 
King?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  everyone  knows  that  story,  and  it  was 
the  fickleness  of  Henri  IV  that  turned  her  towards 
a  religious  life,  and  against  all  mankind." 

"  To  look  at  her  now,  any  love  story  seems 
incredible.  JEven  you  would  find  it  impossible  to 
weave  a  romance  around  her  gaunt  form." 

"  Oh,  I  am  not  so  sure  of  that.  When  she  was 
a  young  girl,  I  can  imagine  her  very  tall  and 
dignified;  yes,  and  I  would  not  swear  but  she  may 
have  been  beautiful.  At  any  rate,  Henri  IV  was 
a  connoisseur,  and  he  certainly  succumbed  to  her 


ROMANCES    OF   THE    FOREST       177 

charms.  It  is  not  for  mere  amateurs  like  us  to 
question  the  decision  of  the  great  and  amourous 
King.  Cardillac  is  said  to  resemble  him  some- 
what, but  is  much  handsomer  than  ever  Henri 
was.  One  might  imagine  that  the  old  woman, 
seeing  this  resemblance,  would  be  inclined  towards 
mercy." 

'  Yes,  or  the  reverse,  if  in  the  past  the  King 
deserted  her." 

"  True,  true.  A  woman  is  like  a  cat :  you  do 
not  know  which  way  she  will  jump.  Whatever 
her  former  love-dreams  may  have  been,  I  fancy 
poor  Cardillac  has  little  mercy  to  expect  from  that 
quarter.  No,  now  that  you  have  told  me  that 
he  and  Therese  de  Montreuil  never  met,  I  see 
another  vision  ending  in  tragedy." 

"  Out  with  it,  Francois." 

"Well,  here  we  have  Cardillac,  fresh,  as  I 
have  said,  from  the  follies  and  frivolities  of  Paris; 
a  youth  who  has  already  gone  the  pace;  a  cynic 
about  women,  crediting  none  of  them  with  any 
good." 

Cardillac,  in  his  strained  position,  moved  un- 
easily, muttering  fierce  implications  under  his 
breath.  Marie,  who  had  been  regarding  him  in- 
tently, held  up  her  hand  in  warning.  Francois 
went  dreamily  on  with  his  recital. 

"And  here,  not  twenty-four  hours  divorced 
from  the  boudoir  .of  his  gay  Parisian  demoiselle, 


178  CARDILLAC 

he  finds  himself  a  prisoner  in  the  strong  court- 
yard of  the  convent.  Instead  of  warm,  soft,  lov- 
ing arms  about  his  neck,  he  is  environed  by  the 
death-cold  embrace  of  stone  walls.  If  he  cannot 
unclasp  this  fatal  grip,  the  remainder  of  his  life 
is  measured  by  minutes,  rather  than  by  hours.  He 
searches  hurriedly,  but  in  vain,  for  an  exit,  and 
at  last  is  interrupted  by  the  footsteps  of  the  nuns 
emerging  from  the  chapel.  He  hides  himself  in 
a  cell.  Picture  it,  my  dear  Pol,  and  compare  it 
with  the  luxurious,  Orient-scented  bower  he  has 
so  lately  left. 

"  Here  are  bare  walls,  and  a  flag  pavement 
instead  of  a  floor.  There  stands  the  narrow  bed, 
with  its  clean  but  common  coverlet,  and  at  its 
head  an  iron  crucifix,  black  against  the  white- 
washed stone.  Cardillac  hears  slow  footsteps  in 
the  passage  outside,  and  springs  to  the  wall,  stand- 
ing with  his  back  closely  plastered  against  it,  in 
such  a  position  that  when  the  door  opens  it  will 
for  the  moment  conceal  him.  The  door  does 
open,  and  there  enters  a  nun,  perhaps  twenty  years 
old,  whpse  pale  beauty  the  white  band  on  her 
forehead  cannot  conceal,  but  rather  seems  to  en- 
hance. She  is  of  noble  family,  otherwise  she  had 
not  been  there,  and  I  fancy  her  immured  in  this 
convent,  not  from  choice,  not  from  religious  en- 
thusiasm, but  for  some  reason  known  only  to  her 
own  family;  a  girl,  Jet  us  say,  who  has  seen  noth- 


ROMANCES   OF    THE    FOREST       179 

ing  of  the  world;  one,  perhaps,  devoted  from  her 
birth  to  the  conventual  life. 

"  Cardillac  closes  the  door,  and  places  his  back 
against  it.  She  turns,  a  vague  terror  in  her  ap- 
pealing eyes,  while  her  open  hand  is  laid  upon  her 
palpitating  heart.  They  look  at  each  other,  a 
few  steps  apart,  neither  speaking.  The  contrast 
between  the  two  is  as  great  as  the  contrast  be- 
tween the  cell  and  the  boudoir  in  Paris,  for  her 
sombre,  badly  cut  garment  covers  a  gentle  heart 
that  has  never  harboured  a  wrong  thought.  His 
gaudy,  gold-laced  costume  of  silk  and  velvet, 
scarlet  and  blue,  conceals  a  soul  cankered  with 
corruption." 

"  Mille  diables!"  groaned  the  real  Cardillac 
in  the  wood. 

"  What  was  that?  I  thought  I  heard  some- 
one speak! "  cried  Francois. 

"  No,  no,"  replied  Pol,  "  it  is  your  own  vivid 
imagination.  Go  on  with  your  story;  you  make 
me  believe  this  thing  actually  happened.  What 
becomes  of  your  devil  and  your  saint?" 

"  All  sense  of  his  critical  position  vanishes  from 
the  mind  of  the  young  man.  Here  before  him  is 
something  all  Paris  cannot  supply.  This-  fair 
flower  of  sanctity  seems  to  him  more  precious  than 
all  the  rest  of  the  world.  Her  sweet,  refined, 
wistful  face  makes  Paris  seem  tawdry  and  value- 
less. As  for  the  young  man,  some  latent  instinct 


180  CARDILLAC 

tells  her  that  here  stands,  concentrated  in  one 
man,  the  wickedness  of  earth,  and  this  disquieting 
knowledge  at  once  repels  and  fascinates  her.  Can 
it  be  possible  that  evil  should  wear  so  gracious  an 
exterior?  And  what  is  this  strange,  subtle,  hitherto 
undreamt-of  influence  which  surrounds  her — an 
influence  that  nullifies  duty  and  prevents  the  out- 
cry which  she  knows  she  should  raise? 

"  A  term  of  endearment  bursts  from  Cardillac's 
lips;  he  strides  forward  towards  her  with  arms 
outstretched.  She  does  not  retreat.  Those  sym- 
pathetic eyes  are  filled  with  a  sorrow  that  daunts 
him.  Slowly  she  raises  to  her  lips  the  little 
wooden  crucifix  that  hangs  from  her  girdle.  When 
she  speaks,  her  voice  reminds  him  of  the  soft 
whisper  of  a  mellow  organ  at  vespers. 

'  Please !  '  she  says,  and  then,  '  I  am  safe  in 
your  courtesy  and  chivalry,  monsieur.' 

"  Cardillac's  arms  drop  helpless  to  his  side.  He 
steps  back  to  his  former  position  against  the 
door." 

"Oh,"  muttered  Pol,  in  accents  of  disappoint- 
ment. "  He  is  not  so  black  as  you  have  painted 
him,  then?" 

"  No,  there  is  good  in  the  lad.  He  is  at  heart 
a  Christian,  and  the  emblem  of  his  faith  held 
thus  aloft  reminds  him  of  his  own  peril.  He 
breaks  forth  into  self-accusation  and  entreaties 
for  pardon.  He  tells  his  story  to  the  listening 


ROMANCES    OF    THE    FOREST       181 

nun,  and  sees  a  film  of  pity  obscure  the  lustre  of 
those  entrancing  eyes.  Their  colloquy  is  rent 
asunder  by  a  shattering  explosion  that  makes  the 
very  walls  tremble." 

"  Ah,  halt  there,  Francois,  you  are  forgetting. 
It  was  long  after  dark  before  the  explosion  took 
place,  and  Cardillac  could  not  have  seen  those  fas- 
cinating eyes." 

"That's  no  matter,  Pol,  and  merely  an  im- 
pertinent interruption  on  your  part.  I  did  not 
think  it  necessary  to  describe  the  descending  of 
night.  The  explosion  has  caused  a  terrified  com- 
motion throughout  the  convent. 

" '  Is  there  a  secret  passage  to  the  forest?  '  cries 
Cardillac. 

'  I  know  of  none,'  replies  the  girl. 

'  The  search  for  the  young  man  has  begun 
under  the  dominance  of  the  relentless  abbess. 

" '  Stand    behind    the    door :    it    is    your    only 

chance,'  says  the  nun,  and  Cardillac  obeys.     The 

nun  herself  occupies  a  position  on  the  threshold. 

'Have  you   seen   a   man  within  the  convent 

precincts  ?  '  demands  the  abbess. 

"  The  young  nun's  head  is  bowed. 

"  '  No,'  she  replies. 

"For  one  long  moment  the  penetrating  gaze  of 
the  abbess  is  upon  her,  then  her  wrist  is  seized, 
and  she  is  jerked  out  into  the  hall.  The  abbess 
enters,  and  before  Cardillac  can  even  make  a 


182  CARDILLAC 

motion  to  draw  his  sword,  her  iron  talons  are 
sunk  in  his  neck,  and  he  is  pressed,  choking  and 
breathless,  against  the  wall,  while  the  elder  nuns 
rush  in  to  the  aid  of  their  chieftainess. 

"  In  less  than  five  minutes  Cardillac  is  tied  rigid 
as  a  post;  the  trembling  young  nun  is  haled  in, 
and  the  two  are  placed  back  to  back,  and  under 
the  skilful  manipulation  of  the  old  woman,  they 
are  tied  firmly  together  like  a  double-faced 
mummy.  They  stand  there  as  inflexible  as  a 
wooden  statue,  and  as  helpless.  With  a  vehement 
push  of  her  two  sinewy  hands,  the  abbess  impels 
the  breathing  mummies  with  a  crash  to  the  floor. 
She  draws  the  door  shut,  and  sends  for  the  masons 
who  are  already  at  work  by  torchlight  repairing 
the  breach  at  the  convent  entrance.  There,  under 
the  stern  personal  command  of  the  abbess,  the 
masons  with  stone  and  mortar  seal  the  doorway, 
and  plaster  over  their  work  until  it  takes  on  a 
semblance  to  the  corridor  wall.  When  the  plaster- 
ing is  dry,  there  is  painted  on  it  in  black  letters, 
'  Mali  principii  mains  finis.' 

;{ Thirty  years  later,  when  the  cell  is  broken 
open  during  some  convent  repairs,  two  skeletons 
are  found  upon  the  floor,  and  rags  of  coarse  serge 
are  mingled  with  scraps  of  faded  cloth-of-gold." 

"Oh,  Lord!  "  cried  Pol,  "I  am  glad  I  have  to 
travel  but  a  short  league  to  the  lights  and  sounds  of 
Beaugency.  What  I  need  at  the  moment  is  a 


ROMANCES   OF   THE    FOREST       183 

jovial  crew  in  a  wine-shop,  a  large  full  flagon  in 
my  hand.  I  shall  dream  of  that  story. .  What 
would  you  do,  Francois,  if  to-night  on  your 
journey  to  Blois  you  encountered  Cardillac  and 
mademoiselle?  " 

"  I  should  glance  in  every  direction  to  see  that 
no  one  was  looking,  and  then  I  should  help  them 
to  escape." 

"So  should  I,  by  Saint  Peter's  keys.  Adieu, 
Frangois." 

"  Adieu,  Pol." 


CHAPTER   XVI 

THE    COURAGE    OF    A    MAID-SERVANT 

THE  sound  of  hoof-beats  lessened  and  less- 
ened in  either  direction,  until  at  last  si- 
lence succeeded.      Cardillac   rose  to   his 
feet,  stretched  his  arms  above  his  head,  and  drew 
in  a  long  breath. 

"  Well,    of    all    outrageous    liars ! "    he    cried. 
"  Did  you  listen  to  what  was  said,  Marie?  " 
"  I  think  I  heard  most  of  their  conversation." 
"  I  hope  you  didn't  believe  what  you  heard, 
then." 

"  Oh,  no.     I  am  not  so  credulous  as  you  think." 
"  I  am  glad  of  that,  for  although  you  are  but  a 
humble  serving-maid,  I  do  not  on  such  account 
undervalue  your  good  opinion." 

'  Thanks  for  your  condescension,  Monsieur  de 
Cardillac.  It  is  very  gracious  of  you,  and  you  may 
be  assured  that  this  unbending  is  greatly  appre- 
ciated by  me." 

"  With  your  words  there  is  no  fault  to  find, 
Marie,  yet  you  say  them  with  an  air  that  is  some- 
what difficult  to  define ;  an  air  that  I  do  not  exactly 
like." 

184 


THE  COURAGE  OF  A  MAID-SERVANT    185 

"  I  am  very  sorry,  monsieur,  and  if  you  would 
kindly  give  me  some  hint  of  what  you  complain* 
I  shall  endeavour  to  avoid  my  fault  in  the  future." 

"  I  do  not  say  it  rises  to  the  dignity  of  a  fault, 
Marie,"  replied  the  young  man  kindly,  "  yet  there 
seemed  to  me  a  suspicion  of  scoffing  in  your  tone, 
as  if  you  did  not  mean  exactly  what  you  said." 

"  I  fear,  Monsieur  de  Cardillac,  that  you  have 
been  listening  so  long  to  mendacity  that  you  are 
now  in  a  mood  to  doubt  everyone's  good  inten- 
tions." 

"  Well,  so  long  as  you  know  that  these  two  men 
are  liars,  especially  the  long-winded  one,  it  does 
not  so  much  matter." 

"  Trust  me,  sir,  I  am  sharper  than  you  think. 
I  at  once  detected  the  falsity  of  their  statements. 
When  they  said  you  had  come  in  the  same  carriage 
with  the  Duke  de  Montreuil,  I  knew  that  was  an 
absurd  saying,  and  when  it  was  added  that  the 
Duke  de  Montreuil  regarded  you  as  a  friend,  why, 
the  absurdity  of  such  an  allegation  was  evident 
even  to  a  poor  creature  like  myself." 

;' There,  Marie,  you  are  at  it  again.  I  hope, 
my  good  girl,  you  are  not  trying  to  be  sarcastic. 
Sarcasm  becomes  a  woman  as  ill  as.  a  badly 
fashioned  gown.  Yourself  admitted  that  you  be- 
lieved me  when  I  said  the  duke  honoured  me  with 
his  friendship,  and  I  think  you  said  that  his  daugh- 
ter accepted  my  proclamation  as  true.  You  have 


186  CARDILLAC 

selected  as  untrue  the  two  accurate  affirmations 
these  men  made." 

"  When  Pol  said  you  had  never  met  Mademoi- 
selle de  Montreuil  he  was  quite  wrong,  was  he 
not?" 

"  No,  that  was  a  third  veracious  allegation  that 
was  made." 

"  If  Pol  and  Francois  are  right  in  the  instances 
I  have  cited,  I  shall  save  myself  trouble  by  accept- 
ing everything  else  as  true." 

The  girl  rose  wearily  from  the  saddle,  and  stood 
before  him. 

"  No,  no,"  he  cried.  "  Everything  else  they 
said  was  as  false  as " 

"  Oh,  do  not  let  us  discuss  the  matter  any 
further!  I  am  tired  of  the  subject,  and  care  not 
what  they  said.  Do  you  propose  to  move  on, 
monsieur?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Cardillac,  offended  by  her  indiffer- 
ence, and  annoyed  at  the  turn  she  had  given  to  the 
conversation,  perversely  disbelieving  the  points 
that  told  in  his  favour,  while  willing  to  accept  off- 
hand all  that  had  been  alleged  against  him. 

"What  are  your  plans,  monsieur?  " 

"  I  shall  disclose  them  when  we  reach  the  high- 
road." 

"  Oh,  thank  you,  monsieur." 

He  got  the  horse  upon  its  feet,  and  strapped 
the  saddle  to  its  back.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that 


THE  COURAGE  OF  A  MAID-SERVANT     187 

the  moon  was  invisible  from  where  they  stood,  the 
forest  had  become  much  less  obscure,  and  he  had 
little  difficulty  in  leading  the  horse  through  the 
few  yards  of  thicket  that  intervened  between  their 
resting  place  and  the  main  road.  Here  it  was 
nearly  as  light  as  day,  for  the  moon  shone  full 
upon  it,  as  it  ran  in  a  straight  line  from  west  to 
east. 

"  Now,  mademoiselle,  I  propose " 

"  Are  you  about  to  divulge  your  plans,  mon- 
sieur ?  " 

"  Yes,  Marie  Duchamps.  Are  you  not  anxious 
to  hear  them?" 

"  Not  in  the  least,  monsieur,  for  they  concern 
you  alone,  just  as  my  own  plans  concern  nobody  but 
myself." 

"  Your  own  plans  ?  They  take  you  to  Blois,  I 
suppose?" 

"  Of  a  surety,  monsieur.  I  shall  not  thank  you 
for  your  aid,  because  I  think  I  was  of  some  service 
to  you  in  pointing  out  a  method  of  escape  from 
the  convent;  therefore  we  bid  one  another  good- 
bye, neither  in  the  other's  debt." 

"  Do  you  mean  that  you  purpose  going  alone  to 
Blois?" 

"  How  clever  you  are,  monsieur  I  That  indeed 
is  my  meaning." 

"  Then  you  credit  what  those  scoundrels  said  of 
me?" 


188  CARDILLAC 

"  I  fear,  monsieur,  that  I  was  not  listening.  I 
think  I  was  asleep  most  of  the  time  they  were 
talking." 

"Not  listening!  Why,  Marie,  I'll  warra'nt  not 
a  word  escaped  you.  Your  ears  are  as  sharp  as 
your  tongue.  Not  listening  ?  What  were  you  do- 
ing when  I  nearly  fell  over  you  at  the  convent 
door?" 

Marie  drew  herself  up  proudly,  turning  with 
quiet  dignity  towards  him,  the  full  moon  shining 
now  on  her  fair  face,  and,  not  for  the  first  time, 
the  young  man,  with  a  flutter  of  pleasure  at  the 
heart,  realised  how  well-favoured  she  was. 

"  Monsieur,"  she  said  quietly,  "  as  I  am  about 
to  bid  you  good-bye,  and  as  I  hope  never  to  see 
you  again,  wishing  you  a  safe  return  to  all  the  al- 
lurements of  Paris,  I  shall  not  prevent  you  re- 
ferring to  my  listening  at  the  door  as  often  as  you 
like.  If  we  were  to  be  comrades  further  on  our 
journey,  I  would  say  that  your  allusion  was  of- 
fensive to  me.  If  there  was  any  generosity  in 
your  nature,  you  would  not  again  allude  to  the 
plight  in  which  you  caught  me.  You  would  know 
that  a  servant  in  my  position  must  obey  the  com- 
mands of  her  mistress,  and  I  have  already  told 
you  that  I  listened  at  the  door  to  obtain  informa- 
tion that  it  might  be  vitally  necessary  Mademoi- 
selle de  Montreuil  should  know.  She  was  kept  a 
prisoner  in  the  convent,  and  I,  if  I  may  be  so  bold 


THE  COURAGE  OF  A  MAID-SERVANT     189 

as  to  say  so,  was  her  only  friend.  I  think  in  the 
circumstances,  monsieur,  the  listening  was  justi- 
fied." 

"  Marie,  I  quite  agree  with  you.     Forgive  me." 

"I  do  so  very  willingly,  monsieur;  and  now 
good-night  and  thank  you." 

"  But  you  are  not  going  alone?" 

;'Yes.  I  know  the  word;  it  is  '  Montoire/ 
Everywhere  the  patrol  will  allow  me  to  pass,  and 
I  shall  be  safe  in  Blois  before  daybreak." 

"Oh,  Marie,  this  is  nonsense!  I  am  in  charge 
of  you." 

;'  Who  put  me  in  your  charge,  monsieur^  " 

;'  Why,  Mademoiselle  de  Montreuil,  so  you  said. 
It  is  my  duty  to  see  you  safely  within  the  walls  of 
Blois." 

"  Monsieur  is  quite  mistaken.  Mademoiselle, 
it  is  true,  wrote  an  order  for  your  inspection,  but 
when  I  returned  to  the  stair  it  was  too  dark  for 
you  to  read  it.  Now  in  this  moonlight  you  may 
decipher  the  words.  I  beg  your  perusal  of  the 
message,  monsieur." 

Cardillac  took  the  paper  she  handed  to  him,  and 
read: 

MONSIEUR  VICTOR  DE  CARDILLAC: 

If  you  will  convey  my  servant,  Marie  Duchamps,  safely  to 
any  destination  she  requires  of  you,  and  if  you  will  obey  her 
in  all  things  that  she  requests,  I  will  communicate  with  my 
father,  and  see  that  he  sends  the  money  he  promised  you  to  any 
address  you  give  Marie  on  leaving. 

THERESE  DE  MONTREUIL. 


190  CARDILLAC 

Cardillac  looked  at  the  girl,  and  looked  at  the 
letter,  then  looked  back  at  the  girl  again,  his  brow 
wrinkled  with  perplexity. 

"  Mon  Dieu,  Marie,  I  cannot  allow  you  to  walk 
this  road  alone  all  night ! " 

'  You  must,  monsieur,  otherwise  you  shall  not 
receive  the  money." 

" Morbleu!  Out  upon  the  money.  I  was  not 
thinking  of  the  money,  but  of  you.  Still,  I'm 
glad  you  mentioned  the  money." 

"  I  thought  it  would  influence  you,  monsieur." 

"  It  does,  Marie.  It  jumps  into  jeopardy  from 
this  moment.  I  shall  disobey  Mademoiselle  de 
Montreuil." 

"  Monsieur  1 "  cried  the  girl  in  alarm,  drawing 
back. 

"  Let  mademoiselle  keep  her  money  to  buy 
finery  with,  the  next  time  she  visits  Paris.  I  swear 
she  is  not  half  so  enchanting  as  her  maid-servant, 
in  spite  of  the  eulogy  of  Francois.  Marie,  you 
must  mount  this  horse  with  me,  and  ride  thus  to 
Blois." 

"  Ah,  and  so  give  reality  to  the  fancies  of  Mon- 
sieur Francois?  " 

"  I  see  you  were  not  asleep  after  all,  Marie  I 
Yes,  we  shall  enact  the  drama  by  Francois,  and  I 
shall  be  delighted  to  kiss  you  over  my  shoulder  as 
often  as  you  are  pleased  to  permit  me,  Marie. 
But  we  waste  time.  Come  along." 


THE  COURAGE  OF  A  MAID-SERVANT     191 

"I  shall  not." 

"Then  I  shall  take  you  in  my  arms,  place 
you  on  the  horse,  and  hold  you  there,  if  neces- 
sary." 

"  Monsieur,  I  bid  you  beware,"  cried  the  girl 
warningly,  stepping  back  as  he  approached. 

Cardillac  laughed  joyously,  and  as  he  strode  two 
steps  nearer  she  drew  from  her  bosom  an  Italian 
stiletto,  whose  hilt  gleamed  with  jewels,  and 
whose  sharp  blade  flashed  in  the  moonlight. 

"  Another  step  at  your  peril,  monsieur ! 
Mademoiselle  gave  me  the  means  to  defend  my- 
self." 

Cardillac  stood  still,  but  continued  his  laugh  of 
quiet  enjoyment.  The  upheld  stiletto  did  not  flash 
more  dangerously  than  her  own  dark  eyes.  The 
red  lips  were  compressed  till  all  colour  had  left 
them,  and  her  face  was  white  and  set. 

"  You  are  an  unfair  highwayman,  Marie.  The 
robber  of  the  road  demands  your  money  or  your 
life,  but  you,  lovely  angel  of  danger,  threaten 
both." 

Marie  did  not  reply,  but  held  to  her  attitude 
of  defence. 

"  Do  you  mean  seriously  to  challenge  to  mortal 
combat  the  second  best  swordsman  in  France?" 

"  If  you  are  he,  yes." 

'  Well,  for  a  maid-servant,  Marie,  you  do  not 
lack  courage." 


192  CARDILLAC 

"  I  cannot  return  the  compliment,  monsieur,  for 
I  should  not  call  that  gentleman  courageous  who 
threatened  a  woman." 

" Frai  Dlen,  Marie,  I  do  not  threaten  you!  I 
am  but  anxious  for  your  safety.  It  is  you  who 
threaten  me.  And  now,  to  show  you  how  much  I 
fear  that  toy,  or  you  either,  I  bid  you  strike ! " 

He  clasped  his  hands  behind  him,  and  marched 
•straight  up  to  her,  until  their  lips  were  not  six 
Inches  apart. 

"  Strike,  Marie,  because  if  you  do  not,  within 
ten  minutes  I  shall  gather  you  in  my  arms  and 
place  you  on  my  horse.  Now,  mademoiselle,  why 
do  you  hesitate  ?  ,Why  has  all  that  high  courage, 
which  I  admired  a  moment  ago,  left  your  face? 
Think  how  fitting  your  blow  would  be,  and  how 
poetical  the  justice  that  guided  a  woman's  stiletto 
into  a  corrupt  heart.". 


CHAPTER   XVII 

THE  SWORD  WOUND  IN  THE  ARM 

MARIE  maintained  her  attitude  for  a  few 
moments,  then  her  arm  lowered,  and 
tears  of  vexation  came  into  her  eyes. 
There  was  a  tremble  in  her  voice  when  she  said: 

"  You  know  I  did  not  believe  that." 

:<  Then  why  do  you  object  to  my  escort,  and 
why  do  you  think  that  steel  will  protect  you?  " 

"  Monsieur,  if  I  tell  you  the  truth,  will  you  let 
me  go  my  own  way?  I  assure  you  I  am  not  ac- 
customed to  being  thwarted,  and  am  headstrong 
after  a  fashion." 

"  I  should  have  thought,  on  the  contrary,  that 
you  were  disciplined  to  obedience.  Do  you  oppose 
mademoiselle  as  you  have  opposed  me?" 

"  Ah,  mademoiselle !  That  is  another  matter. 
I  obey  mademoiselle  in  everything." 

"  Of  course.  Then  tell  me  your  truthful  reason 
for  refusing  my  assistance." 

"  I  refuse  for  your  sake,  and  not  for  my  own. 
I  shall  be  quite  unm'olested  on  the  road  to  Blois, 
but  you  march  there  without  disguise  in  the  gar- 

193 


194  CARDILLAC 

ments  so  familiar  to  Beaugency.  Your  descrip- 
tion has  gone  ahead  of  you.  Francois  has  told 
each  patrol  for  whom  to  look,  and  before  long  he 
will  have  informed  the  military  at  Blois  of  your 
age,  appearance,  manner  and  bearing." 

"You  forget  that  Frangois.  said  he  would  help 
me  to  escape." 

"Yes,  if  he  met  you  alone,  but  you  must  re- 
member he  carries  his  instructions  to  Blois,  and  he 
also  believes  you  will  make  for  that  town.  The 
whole  country  to  the  north  of  the  Loire  is  on  the 
alert  already,  watching  for  you.  I  can  get  through 
to  Blois,  but  you  will  be  captured,  and  believing 
you  to  be  a  brave  man  and  a  gentleman,  I  cannot 
bear  that  you  should  be  sacrificed  on  my  account. 
There,  at  last  you  have  the  truth,  monsieur." 

Cardillac  caught  her  by  the  two  shoulders.  The 
girl  first  shrank  from  him,  then,  seeing  he 
made  no  attempt  to  draw  her  to  his  arms,  she 
stood  quiescent. 

"  Marie,"  he  cried,  "  if  Therese  de  Montreuil 
is  half  so  fine  a  lady  as  you — and  much  as  I  ad- 
mire your  beauty,  I  am  not  referring  to  that — she 
has  reason  to  be  proud  of  herself.  However  ob- 
scure and  humble  your  origin,  Marie,  at  heart 
you  are  a  lady,  and  a  beauteous,  brave  and  charm- 
ing lady  at  that." 

Marie  smiled,  and  a  mischievous  twinkle  chased 
away  the  moisture  from  her  eyes. 


THE    SWORD  WOUND   IN   THE   ARM    195 

"  I  am  gratified  to  receive  so  flattering  an  opin- 
ion from  one  whom  I  must  regard  as  a  connois- 
seur." 

Victor's  hands  rested  more  heavily  on  Marie's 
shoulders  than  she  thought  was  necessary,  and  she 
made  a  slight  movement  to  release  herself.  As 
they  stood  together  on  the  highroad,  his  back  was 
towards  the  moon,  which  shone  full  upon  the 
lovely  face  of  the  girl.  He  seemed  overpowered 
by  this  close  view  of  her  beauty,  and  she,  feeling 
those  heavy  hands  attempting  to  draw  her  still 
nearer,  braced  back,  resisting  their  appeal.  She 
spoke  in  a  low  voice. 

"  Please !  "  she  said.  "  I  rest  secure  in  the 
courtesy  and  chivalry  of  Cardillac." 

The  young  man's  left  hand  swung  down  to  his 
side  with  a  certain  pendulum-like  helplessness. 
His  right  he  drew  across  his  brow,  as  if  in  per- 
plexity. The  girl  stood  free,  watching  him  in- 
tently. 

;<  Where — where,"  he  murmured,  with  a  new 
hesitancy  in  his  speech,  "  where  have  I  heard 
those  words  before?" 

;'Why,"  she  said,  "  don't  you  remember? 
They  were  the  words  of  the  mythical  nun  to  the 
mythical  Cardillac." 

"What  nun?" 

l<  The  nun  of  Francois's  story.  It  made  an  im- 
pression on  my  mind.  Did  it  not  on  yours?  " 


196  CARDILLAC 

"  Frangois?  Frangois?  Ah,  that  was  the 
horseman!  But  I  did  not  harm  the  nun?" 

"  No,  of  course  you  did  not.  Monsieur,  what 
is  wrong  with  you?  You  speak  strangely,  as  if 
you  were  talking  in  your  sleep." 

Cardillac  laughed  a  little. 

"  I  am  asleep,  or  dizzy.  I  have  had  no  sleep 
for  weeks,  I  think.  I  don't  know  how  long.  I 
am  rather  tired." 

Impulsively  she  stepped  forward.  He  swayed 
as  though  he  would  fall,  and  held  himself  erect  by. 
a  visible  effort,  drawing  his  hand  again  and  again 
across  his  brow,  as  if  to  brush  away  bewilderment. 
She  grasped  him  by  the  left  arm,  but  he  winced 
and  spoke  irritably. 

"Don't  do  that,"  he  said. 

"Turn  round  into  the  moonlight,"  she  com- 
manded. "  I  want  to  see  your  face." 

He  leaned  back  against  his  patient  horse,  throw- 
ing the  right  arm  over  the  animal's  neck.  The 
girl  gave  a  little  cry  of  dismay  as  she  saw  the 
ghastly  whiteness  of  his  face,  with  the  pale  moon- 
light now  upon  it.  She  felt  warm  moisture  on  her 
hand,  and  looking  at  her  finger  tips,  saw  them  red 
with  blood. 

'You  are  wounded!"  she  cried. 

"  Oh,  it  is  nothing — nothing  at  all,"  he  an- 
swered impatiently,  "  but  a  sword  thrust  through 


THE   SWORD  WOUND  IN   THE   ARM    197 

the  arm.  It  would  have  been  all  right  but  for  my 
coming  carelessly  down  the  rope  from  the  con- 
vent. I  was  showing  off  because  you  were  there. 
I  burst  the  bandages  and  reopened  the  wound." 

"Who  wounded  you,  and  why?" 

"  It  is  of  no  importance,  I  tell  you.  The  Duke 
de  Montreuil  ran  his  sword  through  my  arm ;  that 
is  all." 

"The  Duke  de  Montreuil?"  cried  the  girl. 

"Yes." 

"But  why,  why,  why?" 

"  Don't  reiterate  a  silly  word  like  that.  Why 
'do  you  ask  so  many  questions?  Curiosity  is  the 
bane  of  woman.  Keep  quiet,  and  let  me  gather 
my  wits." 

He  was  breathing  hard,  slipping  slowly  down 
along  the  horse's  neck,  hanging  on  his  over-reach- 
ing right  arm,  but  while  his  plight  brought  deep 
sympathy  to  the  girl's  eyes,  her  lips  again  de- 
manded : 

"Why?  Why  did  the  Duke  de  Montreuil  do 
that?" 

"  Because — because  I  attacked  him.  I  tried  to 
assassinate  him." 

The  right  arm  loosed  its  hold,  and  Cardillac 
fell  prone  upon  the  ground.  The  horse  started 
back  in  fright,  and  the  girl  gazed  down  upon  his 
white  face. 


198  CARDILLAC 

"Saints  et  saintes!"  she  cried,  trembling.  "In 
what  a  web  of  falsehood  am  I  involved !  Who  is 
this  man?  My  father's  friend,  or  my  father's 
murderer?  My  father's  friend,  as  the  horseman 
said,  and  as  Cardillac  contended,  or  his  vile  assas- 
sin, as  he  himself  admitted  a  moment  since? 
Where  is  my  father?  A  victim  to  this  man's 
treachery,  or  safe  at  Loches?  I  shall  go  to 
Loches  instead  of  to  Blois.  But  no,  that  is  im- 
possible. Loches  is  eighteen  leagues  away,  and 
Blois  but  six.  If  anything  has  happened  to  my 
father,  I  shall  learn  that  at  Blois,  and  there  my 
duty  calls  me  to  the  Queen." 

She  turned  her  face  to  the  west,  and  took  a  step 
in  that  direction,  but  paused  again. 

"Oh,  what  is  the  truth!  What  is  the  truth? 
He  seemed  honest  and  brave,  yes,  and  kind.  A 
lad  like  him  cannot  bear  murder  in  his  heart,  and 
yet  his  own  words — and  that  wound  in  his 
arm!  My  father's  sword!  Tried  to  assassinate 
him!  Delirium  has  its  truth  as  well  as  its 
madness. 

"What  am  I  to  do?  If  I  leave  him  here,  it  is 
death  by  exhaustion,  or  death  by  execution,  and  if 
he  should  be  my  father's  friend  after  all,  and  my 

father  safe  in  Loches How  am  I  to  decide? 

My  duty  is  to  the  Queen — to  plan  her  escape  and 
aid  her ;  yet  I  stand  here  hesitating.  Why  have  I 


THE   SWORD  WOUND  IN   THE   ARM    199 

allowed  this  man  to  come  between  me  and  my 
duty;  to  bring  this  hesitation,  which  was  impos- 
sible half  a  dozen  hours  ago?  In  any  case,  guilty 
or  innocent,  what  is  the  death  of  one  man  to  the 
fate  of  a  dynasty?  To  Blois,  of  course:  there  is 
no  second  choice." 

This  time  she  took  five  steps  resolutely  towards 
Blois,  faltered,  and  looked  back.  The  horse  had 
moved  forward;  had  bent  its  head  affectionately 
over  its  master,  snorting  with  alarm  at  the  warm 
scent  of  blood. 

"  That  dumb  brute  is  more  merciful  »than  I. 
Cardillac  guided  me  safely  through  the  forest, 
bearing  my  petulance  with  patience.  Thinking  me 
servile,  he  called  me  a  lady.  Here,  alone,  and  in 
his  power,  at  my  slightest  command  he  retreated 
from  me.  One  who  was  vile  would  not  have  done 
that,  and  all  the  while  in  pain  and  lessening 
strength,  no  word  of  complaint  from  his  lips;  a 
smile  instead  of  a  frown;  and  his  last  conscious 
words  were  used  to  persuade  a  woman  to  allow 
him,  reckless  of  his  own  safety,  to  ward  off  danger 
from  her,  while  she  taunted  him  about  money — a 
rich  woman  to  a  son  of  poverty,  as  he  admitted 
himself  to  be!  Merciful  Saviour!  what  am  I,  to 
hold  myself  aloof  from  so  great  a  soul  as  his? 
I  cannot  believe  ill  of  him." 

But  when  she  returned  once  more,  the  former 


200  CARDILLAC 

hesitation  overcame  her,  as  she  looked  down  upon 
the  insensible  man.  After  all,  his  own  words 
were  witnesses  against  him. 

'  I  tried  to  assassinate  him,'  he  said.  If  he 
has  injured  my  father,  I  cannot  touch  him :  I  can- 
not bear  to  so  much  as  place  my  hands  upon  him ; 
and  if  he  be  a  murderer,  then  must  he  lie  there, 
and  take  whatever  penalty  comes.  God  of  hon- 
esty, give  me  some  inkling  of  the  truth !  " 

She  crossed  her  hands  above  her  troubled  breast, 
and  raised  a  suppliant  face  to  the  blue  sky. 

"  Mary,  Queen  of  Heaven,"  she  prayed,  "  look 
down  in  pity  on  thine  erring  daughter.  Resolve 
her  doubt.  Is  this  man  fair  or  foul?  Has  he 
raised  hand  against  my  father?  Is  he  fit  for  my 
father's  daughter  to  touch?  If  he  is  innocent,  bid 
me  to  aid  him.  Obliterate  that  natural  pity  if  he 
be  unworthy.  Mere  de  Dieu,  send  me  some  sign, 
however  trivial,  and  I  will  accept  it ! " 

For  a  moment  she  stood  with  face  uplifted,  as  if 
expecting  an  answer  from  the  skies,  but  the  sound 
that  reached  her  ears  was  entirely  terrestrial.  It 
was  the  measured  tramp  of  the  patrol,  returning 
from  the  direction  of  Beaugency.  A  glance  up 
the  road  showed  him  a  silhouetted  black  figure 
against  the  white  surface  of  the  highway.  He 
had  evidently  seen  the  horse  and  woman  standing 
there,  for  his  musketoon  was  not  upon  his 


THE    SWORD  WOUND  IN   THE   ARM    201 

shoulder,  but  held  in  readiness  for  attack  or  de- 
fence. 

Instantly  the  girl  was  on  her  knees  beside  the 
wounded  man.  She  drew  the  soaking  sleeve  from 
his  arm,  and  saw  with  amazement  that  the  wound 
was  beautifully  bound  with  the  finest  cambric,  evi- 
dently the  work  of  a  surgeon  who  knew  his  busi- 
ness. The  saturated  bandage  had  been  slightly 
displaced,  but  its  very  presence  would  contradict 
the  story  she  had  instantaneously  resolved  to  tell. 

This  evidence  must  at  once  be  done  away  with 
before  the  soldier  arrived.  She  drew  from  her 
bosom  the  jewelled  stiletto,  and  running  its  thin 
blade  between  bandage  and  arm,  she  deftly  cut  it 
away,  staining  the  virgin  blade  with  blood.  For  a 
moment,  before  she  threw  the  bandage  into  the 
bushes,  she  examined  the  fineness  of  the  cloth,  with 
sudden  remembrance  that  only  in  one  place,  her 
father's  house,  had  she  seen  cambric  of  this  special 
make.  Holding  a  section  of  it  between  herself 
and  the  moon,  she  saw  dimly  reflected  thereon, 
woven  in  the  fabric,  the  letter  "M,"  and  knew 
immediately  that  this  binding  had  been  done  by 
her  father's  physician,  and  therefore  by.  her  fa- 
ther's orders.  However  Cardillac  had  come  by  his 
wound,  it  was  her  father  who  had  succoured  him, 
as  his  daughter  was  now  attempting  to  do. 

"  Mary,  I  adore  thee-and  thank  thee,"  she  mur- 


202  CARDILLAC 

mured,  as  she  flung  the  sodden  lump  into  the 
thicket.  Rapidly  unfastening  his  shirt  and  laying 
bare  his  breast,  her  small  hands  tremulously  felt 
for  the  index  of  life.  His  heart  was  beating; 
feebly,  slowly,  but  still  beating.  Down  upon  it 
sank  her  cheek. 

"  Poor  lad !  The  nun  lied  for  thee,  and  paid 
with  her  life.  I  shall  do  the  same,  if  I  pay  with 
my  soul." 


CHAPTER   XVIII 


GOD'S  wounds,   mademoiselle,  what  have 
we  here?  " 
The  girl  rose  to  her  feet  as  if  this 
interruption  were  unexpected;  then  she  said,  as  if 
with  an  effort  to  control  her  emotion : 

"  Madame,  not  mademoiselle,  monsieur." 

"Well,  whichever  you  please.  Is  this  man 
dead?" 

"  No,  monsieur,  but  grievously  wounded." 

"  How  came  he  wounded?  " 

"  I  struck  him  down,  monsieur." 

'You — you?  A  slip  of  a  girl  to  strike  down 
a  man  armed  with  a  sword?  I  cannot  believe 
that,  madame." 

"  I  took  him  unawares.  He  did  not  think  I 
would  do  it.  I  struck  him  with  my  dagger 
through  the  arm." 

"  Had  he  been  mistreating  you?" 

"  He  threatened  to  beat  me." 

"For  what  reason?"  . 

''  The  reason  that  he  is  my  husband." 

"  Oh,  your  husband !  That  puts  a  different 
face  on  the  matter.  If  a  husband  meets  cold  steel 

203 


204  CARDILLAC 

merely  for  beating  his  wife,  'tis  a  strange  pass  the 
world  has  come  to." 

'  True,  monsieur,  but  I  am  ill-tempered,  and 
would  not  have  it  so." 

''  This  is  a  very  serious  matter,  and  by  your 
own  confession  I  must  arrest  you." 

"  But  'twas  not  maliciously  done.  It  was  in 
the  height  of  a  quarrel." 

"  No  matter  for  that,  madame. '  Is  a  man's  life 
to  be  put  in  jeopardy  for  the  mere  threat  of  a  beat- 
ing, and  because  he  marries  a  foolish  woman? 
You  are  an  obstreperous  baggage,  and  I  doubt  not 
thoroughly  deserved  a  beating." 

She  shifted  her  position  till  the  grim  old  war- 
rior could  see  her  plainly.  He  paused  in  his  de- 
nunciation. 

"  Nevertheless,"  he  went  on,  "  if  I  had  a  wife 
so  comely  to  look  upon  as  you,  I'd  think  of  kisses 
rather  than  blows.  From  whence  do  you  come, 
madame?  " 

"  From  Blois." 

"Do  you  live  in  Blois?" 

"  We  live  in  Tours,  and  are  on  our  way  through 
to  Beaugency;  thence  to  Orleans  and  Paris." 

"Are  you  making,  a  wedding-trip  of  it?  You 
seem  young  enough  'to  be  married." 

"Tis  our  first  journey  together,  monsieur." 

"  If  you  come  from  Blois,  what  is  the  word  for 
the  night?" 


THE   DIALOGUE   ON  THE   HIGHROAD    205 

"  '  Montoire,'  monsieur." 

"  Right.  The  road,  then,  is  free  to  you.  Is 
this  the  dagger  with  which  you  struck  him?" 

He  lifted  the  stiletto  from  the  road,  and  his 
covetous  eyes  glistened  as  they  saw  the  jewels  in 
its  hilt. 

"  I  must  retain  the  weapon  as  evidence,"  and 
saying  this,  he  proceeded  illogically  to  destroy  part 
of  the  evidence  by  rubbing  the  blade  clean  on  the 
sleeve  of  his  tunic. 

"  Oh,  not  as  evidence,  monsieur,"  she  pleaded. 

"Why  not?  'Tis  most  material,  being  the  in- 
strument of  your  crime." 

"True,  but  I  have  repented  my  crime,  and 
though  I  willingly  ask  you  to  retain  the  stiletto, 
which  comes  from  Italy,  I  hope  it  will  not  need 
to  be  used  as  evidence  against  me,  because  in  that 
case  it  will  be  confiscated  by  the  court,  whereas  if 
the  dagger  remains  in  your  possession,  it  will  keep 
you  for  many  a  year.  That  ruby  alone,  if  taken 
out  and  sold  to  a  jeweller,  will  bring  you  a  hun- 
dred pistoles,  at  least." 

The  girl  was  as  sharp  as  her  stiletto,  and. by  the 
time  she  had  got  this  far  with  the  monologue,  she 
saw  that  a  mistake  was  being  made.  The  look  of 
covetousness  had  departed  from  the  eyes  of  the 
old  soldier,  and  grave  suspicion  had  taken  its 
place.  A  lady  m  the  position  of  Therese  de 
Montreuil  knew  that  bribery  was  rampant  through- 


206  CARDILLAC 

out  the  empire.  No  one  did  anything  for 
nothing,  but  the  system  of  bribery,  like  every- 
thing else  tending  towards  richness,  was  mon- 
opolised by  the  upper  class.  The  peasantry 
neither  looked  for,  nor  got,  any  share  in  the  distri- 
bution of  largesse.  If  a  noble  wished  any  service 
from  a  peasant  he  did  not  tip  him,  but  commanded 
him,  and  the  latter's  recompense  was  more  apt  to 
be  blows  from  a  cudgel  than  coins  from  a  purse. 

The  veteran  with  the  musketoon  lowered  his 
brows  and  looked  menacingly  at  the  fair  woman; 
before  him.  If  such  an  expensive  donation  was 
given,  the  giver  must  be  concealing  something  of 
the  utmost  importance.  His  stolid  mind  worked 
with  almost  visible  slowness,  and  the  quick  intui- 
tion of  the  girl  saw  whither  it  was  tending.  In 
another  minute  he  would  be  asking  himself: 
"  How  do  I  know  this  is  not  Cardillac,  of  whom 
the  whole  country  is  in  search?" 

Now,  Therese  had  become  an  excellent  actress. 
Her  gift  of  impersonation  was  so  great  that  it 
formed  one  of  the  chief  features  which  com- 
mended her  to  the  Queen.  There  was  never  a  dull 
moment  in  Court  when  Therese  de  Montreuil  was 
present,  and  her  mimicry  of  those  whom  Her 
Majesty  disliked  was  the  cause  of  much  amusement 
to  the  Queen  herself,  and  the  Queen's  entourage. 

Therese  became  on  the  instant  a  wan,  pathetic 
figure  with  tears  streaming  from  her  eyes. 


THE   DIALOGUE   ON  THE   HIGHROAD    207 

"  I  can  never  bear,"  she  said,  with  halting  voice, 
"  to  look  upon  that  deadly  instrument  again* 
'Twas  given  me  as  a  present  on  my  marriage, 
and  look  what  it  has  done !  They  say  it  is  ill  luck 
to  receive  without  payment  anything  that  is  sharp, 
or  will  cut,  and  now  I  must  be  rid  of  it  at  all 
costs.  I  should  have  given  payment  for  it,  but  it 
was  sent  to  me  from  Italy,  and  I  could  not  in  time 
recompense  the  sender.  'Twill  bring  disaster  to 
you  or  your  family  if  I  give  it  to  you,  and  while  I 
wish  to  be  rid  of  it  myself,  I  dare  not  bring  down 
curses  on  you  with  such  a  fatal  gift,"  and  here  the 
drooping  girl  began  to  weep  outright. 

The  sentry,  whose  bronzed  and  seamed  face 
turned  as  pale  as  it  could,  let  the  dagger,  jewels 
and  all,  fall  from  his  hand  ringing  to  the  road, 
then  he  piously  crossed  himself. 

"Well,  I  must  rouse  this  man,  and  learn  what 
he  has  to  say  for  himself." 

The  soldier,  whose  calling  demanded  a  certain 
skill  in  rough  surgery,  and  the  carrying  of 
materials  necessary  for  it,  drew  from  his.  wallet  a 
narrow  strip  of  coarse  cloth  and  a  flask  of  brandy. 
He  knelt  by  the  side  of  Cardillac,  examined  the 
wound,  and  placed  his  hand  on  the  forehead  of 
the  unconscious  man.  The  girl,  her  own  anxious 
self  again,  watched  him  intently,  for  the  critical 
moment  that  she  feared  was  approaching. 

"  To  .learn  what  he  would  say  for  himself,"  had 


208  CARDILLAC 

been  the  patrol's  words.  The  danger  was  what 
he  might  say  against  himself  in  those  moments  be- 
tween the  regaining  of  his  wits  and  the  resuming 
of  complete  control  over  them.  She  realised,  with 
despair  at  her  heart,  that  she  could  not  explain  his 
danger  to  Cardillac  while  this  suspicious  man  was 
within  earshot.  Perhaps  when  the  soldier  had 
bound  up  the  wound,  she  might  induce  him  to  de- 
part, and  allow  her  to  bring  the  stricken  man  back 
to  a  knowledge  of  his  surroundings. 

"  If,  good  soldier,  you  will  place  a  bandage  on 
his  arm,  and  pass  on  your  way  to  Blois,  I  will  re- 
vive my  husband." 

"Why?"  demanded  the  soldier,  looking  up  at 
her,  suspicion  once  more  his  dominant  expression. 

"  Because,  soldier,  it  is  said  that  people  walking 
in  their  sleep,  or  after  a  faint,  when  aroused 
should  see  no  stranger  near  them." 

"  That  may  be  true  or  not,"  said  the  patrol, 
"  but  I  must  be  here  to  listen  when  he  wakes." 

"Then,  soldier,  tell  me  who  you  are,  and  for 
whom  you  stand,"  cried  the  girl  craftily,  in  real 
as  well  as  pretended  dismay.  "  If  you  are  for  the 
Queen  Mother,  then  are  we  lost,  for  my  husband  is 
a  strong  partisan  of  the  King,  and  it  is  to  Paris 
that  we  are  going,  for  he  intends  to  offer  his  sword 
to  His  Majesty." 

"  Plague  take  it,"  growled  the  old  soldier. 
"  Have  you  come  all  the  way  from  Tours, 


THE   DIALOGUE   ON  THE   HIGHROAD    209 

madame,  through  Blois,  where  the  Queen  is  im- 
prisoned, without  learning  that  the  north  bank  of 
the  Loire  is  patrolled  entirely  by  the  King's  men? 
If  your  husband,  as  you  say,  is  a  partisan  of  His 
Majesty,  he  has  nothing  to  fear.  He  is  among 
friends.  But  I  must  hear  from  his  own  lips  what 
he  has  to  say,  because  I  know  from  experience 
that  women  do  not  always  tell  the  truth." 

"  Do  you  impugn  my  veracity,  monsieur?  "  de- 
manded Therese,  with  indignation. 

"  I  do  not  understand  your  language,  madame. 
Plain  talk  is  what  I  am  accustomed  to.  There  is 
something  very  strange  about  this  case.  The 
wound  has  stopped  bleeding,  and  this  man  is  not 
in  a  faint,  but  is  asleep.  He  seems  to  me  ex- 
hausted from  much  travelling,  or  lack  of  food,  or 
both.  'Tis  not  within  reason,  madame,  that  a 
blow  from  your  stiletto,  ten  minutes  since,  should 
have  done  what  you  say.  This  man  has  been 
bled  white;  the  wound  is  not  recent,  madame." 

"  Recent?  Of  course  it  is  not  recent,  nor  did  I 
make  such  allegation.  The  blow  was  struck  hours 
ago,  and  here  we  have  been  quarrelling  ever  since. 
Seemingly  he  bled  all  the  way,  and  so  collapsed 
during  our  last  dispute.  Ten  minutes  ago  he  had 
his  right  arm  over  his  horse's  neck,  using  language 
that  was  frightful  to  hear.  Suddenly  he  be- 
came incoherent,  then  slipped  down  and  down, 
and  fell  as  you  see  him." 


210  CARDILLAC 

"  That  may  all  be,  madame,  but  I  wish  to  hear 
his  version  of  it  before  I  leave  this  spot." 

"  Why  do  you  doubt  what  I  tell  you,  soldier?  " 

"Will  you  answer  me  a  question,  madame?" 

"  A  thousand  of  them." 

"  I  think  I  see  how  this  was  done.  When  he 
realised  you  were  about  to  strike,  he  held  his  arm 
across  his  face  to  protect  it,  and  you  struck  him 
near  the  left  shoulder." 

This  seemed  such  a  reasonable  explanation  that 
Therese  was  about  to  answer  yes,  when  suddenly 
she  remembered  that  a  sword  thrust  would  enter 
the  front  of  the  arm,  whereas  a  stiletto  stroke,  de- 
livered as  the  soldier  had  indicated,  would  enter 
the  back  of  the  arm  and  could  not  take  the  same 
direction  as  would  have  been  the  case  had  the  arm 
been  outstretched  or  hanging  by  his  side. 

"  No,  soldier,"  she  said,  "  you  are  wrong.  My 
husband  had  threatened  to  take  me  in  his  arms 
and  place  me  on  the  horse  against  my  will.  I 
warned  him  that  if  he  attempted  to  carry  out  his 
menace,  I  would  strike  him.  He  rushed  at  me 
with  arms  outstretched,  and  I  struck." 


CHAPTER   XIX 

A  ROADSIDE   COMEDY 

f    •   ^HE  soldier  grunted,  but  made  no  further 
comment.     In  a  trice  the  wound  was  more 

Ji-  effectively  bandaged  than  she  had  ex- 
pected. The  amateur  surgeon  shook  Cardillac 
roughly  by  grasping  his  right  shoulder,  and  his 
prediction  that  the  man  was  merely  asleep  proved 
correct.  Cardillac  blinked  his  eyes,  then  with  an 
effort  rose  slowly  to  a  sitting  posture,  muttering  a 
malediction  as  the  wounded  arm  gave  him  a 
twinge.  The  soldier  was  kneeling  on  his  left  side, 
with  his  left  arm  supporting  the  young  man's 
head.  Therese  knelt  quickly  close  to  the  right. 

"Why,  what  a  soft  fool  I  am,"  said  Cardillac, 
drawing  his  right  hand  across  his  brow,  the  same 
action  he  had  taken  just  before  he  fell.  "  Any 
school-girl  might  show  more  stamina." 

"  Oh,  Victor,  Victor!"  exclaimed  Marie. 
"  Do  not  talk  till  you  have  more  strength,  I  be- 
seech you !  " 

'  Talking  won't  hurt  him,"   said  the  soldier. 
'What  is  your  name,  monsieur?" 

"  I  told  you,"  snapped  the  girl,  "  that  his  name  is 
Victor  Duchamps.  Do  you  still  doubt  my  word, 
soldier?" 

211 


CARDILLAC 

"  I  wish  you  would  not  interrupt,  madame.  I 
have  already  heard  your  story,  and  I  want  to  hear 
his.  What  is  your  name,  monsieur?" 

"  Victor  Duchamps,"  replied  Cardillac,  dazed, 
but  obedient  to  her  glance.  He  closed  his  eyes 
wearily  and  leaned  back  heavily  on  the  soldier's 
arm. 

"  I  thank  you,  sir,"  continued  Cardillac.  '  You 
have  bandaged  that  wound  as  well  as  the  doctor- 
in " 

The  girl  hesitated  no  longer,  but  flung  her  arms 
round  his  neck. 

"  Oh,  Victor,  Victor ! "  she  cried.  "  I  was 
afraid  I  had  killed  you !  " 

"  My  dear,  you  had  nothing " 

She  stopped  his  lips  with  a  kiss. 

"Why  don't  you  let  the  man  speak?"  cried 
the  indignant  and  now  thoroughly  distrustful  sol- 
dier. 

She  turned  on  him  with  all  the  virulence  of  the 
virago  she  pretended  to  be. 

"  How  dare  you  interrupt  the  affection  of  a  wife 
who  has  recovered  her  husband  from  the  grave  ?  " 

"  Affection ! !'  protested  the  bewildered  soldier. 
'  You  talk  of.  affection,  who  sent  your  dagger 
through  your  husband's  arm,  and  stormed  till  the 
poor  man  fainted  through  loss  of  blood!  Affec- 
tion, say  you!  God  protect  me  from  such  affec- 
tion." 


A   ROADSIDE    COMEDY  213 

"Why,"  cried  Cardillac,  "you  beast!  She 
never " 

But  he  was  silenced  by  the  embrace  of  the  girl, 
who  drew  his  head  to  her  shoulder,  and  rapidly 
whispered  in  his  ear: 

"Gather  your  wits  together,  and  listen.  We 
are  married.  You  are  Victor  Duchamps.  We 
came  from  Tours  through  Blois,  and  are  going  to 
Beaugency;  thence  to  Paris.  You  are  a  King's 
man.  You  tried  to  beat  me,  and  I  struck  you  with 
my  dagger.  Do  you  understand?  Either  keep 
quiet,  or  follow  what  I  have  said." 

This  was  spoken  so  rapidly  that  even  if  the 
soldier  had  heard  it  he  could  not  have  understood, 
but  no  sound  came  to  him.  Apparently  she  was 
fondling  her  husband  in  an  ecstasy  of  joy  at  his 
recovery. 

"  Now,  madame,"  said  the  soldier,  standing  up, 
"  will  you  rise  and  step  aside,  or  shall  I  be  forced 
to  arrest  you  both?" 

The  girl  rose,  walked  to  the  patient  horse,  and 
patted  its  neck. 

"  Monsieur,  where  are  you  from?" 

"  From  Tours." 

"  Whither  are  you  bound?" 

'  To-night  to  Beaugency.  After  that  with  a 
permit  to  Paris,  there  to  take  service  with  the 
King." 

"  Is  this  woman  your  wife?  " 

.* 


CARDILLAC 

"Yes." 

"What  is  her  name?" 

"Marie  Duchamps." 

"  How  came  you  by  your  wound?" 

"  I  refuse  to   answer." 

"Then  in  that  case  you  must  both  return  with 
me  to  Blois." 

"  Oh,  Victor,"  cried  the  girl,  "  don't  try  to 
shield  me.  I  have  told  him  all  about  it." 

"Madame,  keep  quiet.  I  have  heard  enough 
of  your  clack  to-night." 

"  And  I,"  said  Cardillac,  staggering  to  his  feet, 
"  have  heard  enough  of  yours.  Curse  you,  sir, 
how  dare  you  address  my  wife  in  such  a  manner ! 
a  lady  born  and  bred,  and  you  the  scum  of  the 
earth!  You  think  because  I  am  weak  I  can  be 
browbeaten  by  such  as  you.  By  Saint  Martin  of 
Tours,  I'll  run  you  through,  like  a  spitted  chicken, 
if  you  dare  address  this  lady  but  in  words  of  the 
deepest  respect." 

"Deepest  respect!"  muttered  the  soldier,  en- 
deavouring to  edge  towards  his  musketoon,  which 
leaned  against  a  tree.  "  Deepest  respect,  when 
she  thrust  a- dagger  through  you !  " 

"  Out  upon  that !  'Tis  none  of  your  affair,  you 
carrion  of  the  crow  fields." 

Cardillac,  now  all  on  the  alert,  stepped  between 
the  soldier  and  his  chief  weapon,  his  own  sword 
gleaming  in  the  moonlight. 


A    ROADSIDE    COMEDY  215 

"  Oh,  Victor,  Victor !  "  warned  the  girl.  But 
Victor  understood  better  than  she  the  type  of  man 
with  whom  he  had  to  deal.  The  very  fact  that  he 
had  now  encountered  such  language  convinced  the 
soldier  more  effectually  than  any  cajoling  would 
have  done  that  these  people  had  the  right  to  travel 
on  his  road. 

"  I  meant  no  harm,  monsieur.  I  merely  asked, 
as  is  my  duty,  certain  questions  which  you  have 
answered  quite  to  my  satisfaction.  And  now, 
monsieur,  if  you  will  oblige  me  with  the  word  for 
the  night — I  implore  madame  not  to  speak — I 
shall  be  satisfied.  If  you  are  a  King's  man,  you 
carry  the  King's  word.  I  ask  you,  sir,  what  it  is." 

"  The  word  is  '  Montoire,'  scullion." 

"Right,  monsieur,  you  are  in  the  right;  and 
hoping  that  I  have  bound  the  wound  to  your  satis- 
faction, I  bid  you  a  very  good-night." 

"Oh,  that's  all  right,  my  good  fellow.  You 
have  bound  the  wound  as  excellently  as  the  doc- 
tor  " 

"  Yes,  as  excellently  as  any  doctor,"  cried 
Therese,  interrupting. 

"  That  was  what  I  was  saying,"  cprrected  Car- 
dillac.  '  You  have  done  it  as  well  as  any  sur- 
geon could.  And  now,  my  good  man,  apologise 
to  the  lady,  and  I  will  give  you  a  surgeon's 
fee." 

"  Madame,   I  hope  I  have  said  nothing  that 


216  CARDILLAC 

offended  you.  You  know  my  duty  must  be  per- 
formed. I  am  one  of  the  patrols  of  the  road." 

To  this  apology,  such  as  it  was,  the  lady  made 
no  reply. 

Cardillac,  hesitating  whether  or  not  to  entrust 
him  with  the  musketoon,  yet  not  wishing  to  de- 
prive him  of  it,  said: 

"Are  you  satisfied  with  your  enquiries,  soldier?  " 

"  Passably  so,"  growled  the  man,  "  but  I  must 
take  this  dagger  with  me  as  evidence  when  I  make 
my  report." 

He  gingerly  raised  the  dagger  from  the  road- 
way. 

"  Grasp  the  dagger  by  the  blade,  and  hand  it, 
hilt  forward,  to  me." 

With  some  hesitation  the  soldier  did  as  he  was 
commanded.  If  he  had  picked  up  the  dagger  as 
a  weapon  against  the  drawn  sword,  his  own  ex- 
perience told  him  such  dependence  would  be  futile. 
Cardillac  examined  the  stiletto  with  interest.  On 
its  hilt,  mosaiced  in  jewels,  was  the  crest  of  the 
House  of  Montreuil.  That  dagger  would  form 
a  clue  that  must  not  get  out  of  his  possession. 

"  I'll  take  charge  of  this,"  said  Cardillac. 

"  But  madame  said  she  never  wished  to  see  it: 
again." 

"  I  daresay.  I  shall  conceal  it  about  my  person 
that  she  may  be  saved  the  -displeasure  of  looking 
at  it." 


A    ROADSIDE    COMEDY  217 

"  But  I  must  make  my  report,  monsieur,  and 
this  is  evidence  of  the  crime." 

"  There  was  no  crime  and  no  evidence.  Madame 
was  cozening  you,  seeing  you  are  a  fool.  She 
never  struck  me  with  her  dagger." 

4  Then  how  came  the  wound,  monsieur?" 
"  Oh,  that's  very  simple.    Tired  of  walking  on 
foot,  and  also  of  horseback  riding,  I  tried  progres- 
sion  on  my   hands,   neglecting   to   withdraw  my 
sword  when  I  stood  on  my  head.     The  sword 
fell  out  and  ran  through  my  arm.     Incorporate 
that  in  your  report,   and  never  be  so  ungallant 
in  Touraine  as  to  indict  a  lady." 
The  soldier  growled. 

"  I  cannot  put  a  lie  like  that  in  my  report." 
"  Then  don't  report  at  all,  you  monument  of 
stupidity,  for  then  you  will  save  me  from  making 
a  report  when  I  reach  Beaugency.  Here  are  we, 
King's  travellers  on  the  King's  highway,  yet  you 
dare  to  investigate  as  if  you  were  one  of  His 
Majesty's  magistrates.  The  moment  the  word  was 
given  you,  and  the  correct  word,  you  should  have 
passed  on.  What  private  brawls  my  wife  and 
I  may  indulge  in  are  none  of  your  business,  nor 
the  business  of  anyone  like  you.  Are  you  going 
to  report?" 

"  If  you  think  it  is  not  necessary,  monsieur " 

"  You  should  have  done  one  thing  or  the  other, 
which  was  either  to  allow  us  to  pass,  or  to  arrest 


218  CARDILLAC 

us.  If  you  do  not  arrest  us,  what  is  the  use  of 
your  report?  If  you  intend  to  arrest  us,  say  so, 
and  say  it  now,  also  tell  me  what  reason  you  will 
give  to  your  superiors  for  arresting  a  man  who 
carries  the  pass-word." 

The  perplexed  soldier  removed  his  cap  and 
scratched  his  head. 

"  Well,  monsieur,  if  you  say  nothing,  I'll  say 
nothing." 

"  As  you  please ;  it  doesn't  matter  to  me.  But 
in  that  case  here  is  your  musketoon  and  here  are 
three  gold  pieces  in  payment  of  your  bandaging." 

The  patrol  accepted  the  gold  pieces  with  some 
awkward  expressions  of  gratitude,  took  his  mus- 
ketoon from  Cardillac's  hand,  and  throwing  it 
over  his  shoulder  marched  stoutly  away.  For  a 
few  moments  there  was  some  anxiety  between  the 
two  that  he  might,  when  at  a  safe  distance,  fire 
upon  them,  but  the  high  moon  beat  down  upon 
the  soldier's  back,  and  he  never  looked  behind 
him. 

"  Well,  thank  Heaven  we  are  rid  of  that  fel- 
low," said  Cardillac. 

'  Yes,"  sighed  the  girl,  "  but  my  road  to  Blois 
is  blocked." 


CHAPTER     XX 

THE  MIDNIGHT  PICNIC  IN  THE  WOODS 

GARDILLAC  stood  with  his  back  against 
the  horse,  not  yet  too  steady  on 
his  feet.  He  gazed  down  the  road, 
watching  the  disappearing  patrol.  Therese 
remained  in  the  middle  of  the  road,  her 
face,  in  shadow,  turned  toward  the  west,  her 
head  bowed,  waiting  for  the  man  to  speak,  yet 
fearing  what  he  would  say,  feeling  that  his  first 
words  after  such  an  episode  would  be  vital;  def- 
inite one  way  or  another;  a  test  of  his  quality  as 
a  gentleman,  or  rather  of  what  the  girl  in  her 
heart  conceived  a  gentleman  to  be.  Something 
different,  she  thought,  from  the  men  she  had  hith- 
erto met.  It  would  be  deplorable  if  he  treated 
as  a  joke  the  fact  that  she  had  endeavoured  to 
save  him  by  claiming  to  be  his  wife,  and  almost 
more  deplorable  if  he  regarded  her  action  as 
binding  her  to  anything. 

Cardillac  did  not  change  his  gaze  from  the 
west  till  the  stalwart  soldier  had  faded  completely 
away,  becoming  indistinguishable  in  the  slight 
haze,  which  seemed  like  thickened  moonlight,  far 

219 


220  CARDILLAC 

down  the  road.  When  at  last  the  disappearance 
was  complete,  he,  with  a  slight,  joyful  exclamation 
of  relief  to  his  brooding  companion,  looked  at  her 
for  a  moment,  and  noted  a  certain  trace  of  dejec- 
tion in  her  attitude.  When  he  spoke,  his  voice 
took  on  all  the  cheeriness  of  a  lad  set  free  from 
some  penalty. 

"  Well,  Marie ! "  he  cried,  "  I  do  like  a  ques- 
tion to  be  definitely  settled." 

The  girl's  heart  seemed  to  leap  into  her  throat, 
and  her  head  bent  lower,  for  she  knew  her  face 
was  reddening.  So  this  was  the  way  he  proposed 
to  take  it;  and  there  arose  in  her  breast  a  sensa- 
tion of  pity,  not  so  much  for  herself  as  for  him. 

"  And  what  question  has  been  definitely  settled, 
monsieur?"  she  asked,  striving  to  keep  control 
of  her  voice. 

"  Why,  I  should  think  you  knew  that,  if  anyone 
did.  You  are  quick  to  perceive  any  radical  change 
in  circumstances,  Marie." 

"  I  fear  at  times  I  am  very  slow,  monsieur. 
Pray  enlighten  me  regarding  the  question  you 
speak  of,  and  tell  me  plainly  what  is  the  nature 
of  the  settlement  to  which  you  refer," 

"Marie,  you  bewilder  me  with  your  changes 
of  mood.  You  are  pretending  now  to  be  very 
dull,  although  I  know  you  are  never  dull.  Some- 
times I  am  disquieted  by  a  suspicion  that  you  are 
treating  me  lightly." 


MIDNIGHT   PICNIC   IN    THE   WOODS 

"Oh,  impossible,  monsieur!" 

"  There  is  one  thing,  Marie,  that  a  Gascon  will 
not  stand,  whether  it  comes  from  man  or  woman, 
and  that  is  to  be  esteemed  a  sort  of  immature 
joke.  If  a  man  attempted  that,  he  should  be  in- 
stantly compelled  to  draw  his  sword,  but  with  a 
woman  I  am  at  a  loss." 

"  You  are  quite  mistaken,  Monsieur  de  Car- 
dillac.  I  regard  you  as  a  very,  very  serious  person, 
and  thus  I  am  chagrined  that,  instead  of  instruct- 
ing one  so  much  your  inferior  when  she  begs  for 
information,  you  wander  from  the  point.  You 
were  good  enough  to  say  that  some  question  was 
definitely  answered,  and  I  wish  to  know  what  the 
question  is." 

;'  The  question  pertains  to  yourself  and  myself, 
Marie,  and  the  answer,  I  thank  your  saint  and 
mine,  is  entirely  to  my  satisfaction." 

Now  the  girl  raised  her  head,  and  if  a  look 
could  have  frozen  the  jubilant  youth,  the  smile 
he  endeavoured  to  make  ingratiating  would  have 
become  fixed.  / 

"  I  do  not  understand  you,  monsieur,"  and  he 
had  never  heard  her  speak  with  such  distant  un- 
friendliness, even  when  he  had  been  coercing  her 
in  the  convent.  "In  what  manner  has  our  rela- 
tionship been  changed?" 

"  My  dear  Marie,  do  you  mean  to  persist  in 
ignoring  circumstances,  one  of  which  you  yourself 


CARDI^LAC 

but  just  now  pointed  out?  'The  road  to  Blois,' 
you  said,  '  is  blocked,'  and  that  is  absolutely  true. 
I  cannot  go  thither,  neither  can  you,  yet  your  very 
last  words,  before  I  so  foolishly  fainted  like  a 
school-girl,  were  to  the  effect  that  you  would  pro- 
ceed alone  to  Blois,  whereas  I  should  take  what- 
ever direction  pleased  me.  Now  the  road  to  Blois 
is  closed  to  us. 

"  The  road  to  Beaugency  is  impossible.  The 
forest  to  the  north  is  impossible.  Thus  east, 
west  and  north  are  banished  from  our  problem; 
only  the  south  is  left,  and,  dear  girl,  if  you  will 
allow  me  to  call  you  so,  you  and  I  must  travel 
to  the  south  together." 

Again  the  girl's  head  drooped. 
'  Yes,  I  understand,  now  that  you  point  it  out 
so  clearly,"  she  murmured. 

"  And  look  you,  Marie,  how  providential  this 
decision  is  which  fate  has  made  for  us.  You  speak 
of  my  putting  things  clearly,  but  if  my  mind  had 
not  been  wandering,  I  should  have  convinced  you 
long  ago  that  this  was  really  the  only  plan.  As  a 
lad  I  liv,ed  at  Montrichard  for  months,  and  also 
at  a  farm  in  the  environs  of  Blois,  to  the  south 
of  the  river.  All  this  country  on  the  left  bank 
of  the  Loire  is  known  to  me.  I  am  familiar  with 
the  roads  and  the  paths,  and  the  woodcutters' 
huts  and  the  huntsmen's  lodges,  and  once  we  cross 
the  river,  I  am,  as  it  were,  in  my  own  land. 


MIDNIGHT   PICNIC   IN   THE   WOODS 

"Aside  from  this,  there  are  no  King's  soldiers 
over  there.  The  forest  across  the  flood  is  not  in 
the  unkempt  condition  of  this  impenetrable  thicket, 
because  the  woodmen  are  unmolested  by  wander- 
ing soldiery.  They  have  never  been  looted  of 
their  scanty  possessions,  with  no  redress  from 
those  in  command.  Why,  Marie,  I  could  defy 
Luynes  and  all  his  host  over  there,  for,  even  at 
night,  I  can  lead  you  through  paths  so  intricate 
and  so  embowered  with  foliage  that  your  eyes 
would  sparkle  at  their  beauty,  rather  than  at  your 
own  danger.  Danger?  There  isn't  any,  once 
we  reach  the  farther  bank.  My  mind  was  rather 
dazed,  otherwise  I  had  seen  all  these  advantages 
before,  and  so  persuaded  you,  Marie,  instead  of 
attempting  to  coerce  you,  for  which,  dear  girl,  I 
pray  you  forgive  me. 

'  Then,  a  short  league  south  of  Blois,  on  the 
road  to  St.  Aignan,  stands  the  stout  farm  of  Gas- 
pard  Maloche,  who  used  to  be  a  tenant  on  our 
estate  until,  when  I  was  a  boy,  he  went  north,  and 
settled  in  Touraine.  His  strong  house^  is  built 
round  a  courtyard,  like  a  chateau  or  a  monastery, 
and  could  stand  a  siege  as  well  as  any  fortress  In 
the  land.  Within  its  walls  we  will  be  welcome 
and  safe,  and  you  may  reach  Blois  at  your  con- 
venience from  the  fair  south,  instead  of  from  the 
suspicious  east. 

"  But  a  few  short  months  ago  I  stopped  with 


CARDILLAC 

Maloche  on  my  way  to  Paris.  He  has  become 
more  rich  and  prosperous  than  would  ever  have 
been  the  case  had  he  remained  in  Gascony,  for 
the  Court  at  Blois  is  his  customer.  His  lands  are 
fertile,  and  being  out  of  the  beaten  track  have 
never  been  overrun  by  the  military." 

The  girl  looked  up  at  him,  with  a  rare  smile  on 
her  enticing  face.  His  own  countenance  was 
flushed  by  his  enthusiastic  declamation.  In  his 
fancy  he  was  already  safe  within  the  farm  strong- 
hold. 

"You  paint  a  very  alluring  picture,  monsieur, 
and,  in  truth,  I  wish  I  were  there  at  this  mo- 
ment." 

"  I  shall  lead  you  there  in  perfect  safety  within 
a  very  few  hours.  Are  you  afraid,  Marie?" 

"  Not  in  the  least,  but,  at  the  risk  of  shocking 
your  fanciful  nature,  I  must  make  the  plebeian 
confession  that  I  am  hungry.  Your  attack  on  our 
convent  was  ill-timed,  monsieur,  for  you  came  half 
an  hour  before  dinner,  and  I  have  had  nothing 
to  eat  since  mid-day.  So  when  you  spoke  of  the 
estimable  Maloche  becoming  rich  by  feeding  the 
Court,  my  appetite,  as  well  as  my  affection,  turned 
towards  the  homestead  that  is  doubtless  well  pro- 
vided with  good  things  to  eat." 

"  Now,  out  upon  me  for  a  selfish,  thoughtless 
beast !  Why  did  you  not  tell  me  you  were  hungry, 
Marie?" 


MIDNIGHT   PICNIC   IN    THE   WOODS    225 

"  Why  did  you  not  tell  me  you  were  wounded, 
monsieur?  " 

"  Oh,  a  wound  is  nothing,  and  you  could  not 
have  removed  it  if  you  had  known." 

"  Well,  hunger  is  nothing,  and  you  could  not 
have  removed  it  had  you  known." 

"There  you  are  mistaken,  Marie.  I  shall 
gladly  bestow  upon  you  the  supper  of  Mademoi- 
selle de  Montreuil." 

The  girl  seemed  startled. 

"What  do  you  mean  by  that,  monsieur?  "  she 
asked  breathlessly. 

"  At  the  Hotel  Ecu  de  Bretagne,  in  Beaugency, 
I  made  an  excellent  repast,  so  satisfying  that  until 
this  moment  I  forgot  such  a  thing  as  hunger  ex- 
isted in  the  world.  Well,  I  thought  that,  as  I 
should  be  escorting  mademoiselle  all  night  through 
the  forest,  she  might  require  a  little  refreshment, 
so  I  had  the  host  of  the  Bretagne  place  in  my 
saddle-bags  two  measures  of  wine,  a  cold,  fat 
roasted  poulet,  most  excellent  bread,  and  other 
appetising  provender.  We  shall  picnic  here  by 
the  roadside  on  the  instant." 

Cardillac  turned  to  the  saddle-bags,  but  she,  ap,- 
proaching  him,  laid  her  hand  lightly  on  his 
shoulder. 

"  No,  not  by.  the  roadside,  but  on  the  other  bank 
of  the  Loire.  I  am  not  so  hungry  as  I  was. 
I  fear  the  return  of  that  patrol  with  reinforce- 


226  CARDILLAC 

ments.     Let  us  plunge  at  once  through  the  forest 
to  the  river,  but  first  give  me  a  sup  of  wine,  and 
.  -  take  a  flagon  for  yourself,  for  the  pallor  has  re- 
j|irned." 

l*i  Indeed,  your  suggestion  is  both  wise  and  prac- 
;  ticable,  Marie;'!  had  not  thought  that  any  woman, 
except  my  mother,  could  be  so  sensible." 

The  girl  laughed,  and  he,  undoing  the  fasten- 
ings of  the  saddle-bag  nearest  him,  brought  out 
two  leathern  cups,  one  inside  the  other,  separated 
them,  and  poured  into  each  the  rich  red  wine  of 
Beaiigency. 

"  I  drink,"  she  said,  raising  aloft  the  cup,  "  to 
the  success  of  that  brave  and  resourceful  man, 
Cardillac." 

"And  I,"  cried  the  youth,  "pledge  the  health 
of  the  sweetest  and  most  lovely  princess  in  the 
world,  courageous  as  a  man,  and  charming  as  a 
child." 

'  Your  mother,   monsieur?"   she   asked,   with 
an  arch  smile. 

"Not  this  time,  Marie,  good  woman  as  she 
is,"  and  with  that  he  drained  the  leathern  goblet. 
' '  ."And  now  for  the  river!  "  he  cried. 

"  Wait  one  moment,"  suggested  the  girl.  "  You 
said  I  could  not  have  helped  your  wound,  and  I 
said  you  could  not  assuage  my  hunger.  We  were 
both  wrong,  it  seems,  for  I  'am  about  to  set  up 
my  surgery  against  your  catering." 


MIDNIGHT   PICNIC   IN    THE   WOODS 

She  took  from  her  neck  a  silken  scarf,  and  threw 
it  over  his.  Tying  a  knot  in  it,  she  put  his  arm 
through  the  loop. 

"There,"  she  said,  "we  must  be  careful  of  that 
arm  during  the  rest  of  the  journey." 

He  mounted  the  horse,  held  out  a  hand  to  the 
girl,  and  she  sprang  up  behind  him. 

"  I  shall  hold  on,"  she  said,  "  by  your  sword 
belt,"  and  perhaps  the  quick  blush  that  rose  to 
her  cheeks  was  caused  by  remembrance  that  the 
romancing  Francois  had  placed  her  arm  around 
the  horseman's  waist. 

Thus  the  two  bade  farewell  to  the  empty  high- 
road, and  entered  the  dense  forest  which  lay  south 
of  it.  It  proved  to  be  in  little  better  condition 
than  that  to  the  north,  but  on  this  occasion  the 
moon,  although  unseen,  which  rode  high  in  the 
heavens,  caused  the  forest  to  be  light  enough  for 
all  practical  purposes. 

Being  now  sure  of  their  direction,  they  speedily 
traversed  the  scant  league  that  separated  the  high- 
road from  the  river.  ; 

The  young  man  viewed  the  broad  valley  of 
the  Loire  with  an  exultation  that  he  attributed  to 
the  inspiring  quality  of  the  wine  he  had  consumed, 
but,  nevertheless,  this  river  produced,  in  his  heart 
certain  sentimental  emotions.  It  was  tne  dividing 
line  between  the  north  and  the  south,  and,  indeed, 
he  regarded  the  Loire  more  as  an  entirely  southern 


228  CARDILLAC 

river  than  as  the  boundary  between  two  sections  of 
France. 

It  was  southern  in  its  temper:  quick  to  rise  in 
wrath  with  devastating  consequences,  quick  to 
subside  into  quiescence  again;  in  spring  a  raging, 
resistless  flood,  spreading  from  bank  to  bank, 
but  now,  under  the  moonlight,  seeming  a  serious 
and  placid  stream,  separated  by  long  stretches  of 
gravel  islands  and  peninsulas,  white  and  gleam- 
ing between  glittering  stretches  of  blue  water. 

"The  Loire!  The  Loire!"  he  murmured  af- 
fectionately, as  he  set  his  horse  to  the  task  of  ford- 
ing it,  an  undertaking  which  the  animal  ventured 
upon  with  evident  misgiving.  It  was  the  middle 
of  summer,  which  meant  a  shallow  river,  so  the 
crossing  was  easily  made  without  wetting  the  boots 
of  Cardillac  or  the  skirts  of  mademoiselle.  Mount- 
ing the  bank  on  the  other  side,  even  the  girl  could 
see  that  here  the  forest  resembled  a  park  rather 
than  the  savage  woodland  they  had  left. 

Cardillac  halted  his  horse  under  the  trees  on 
a  picturesque  bluff,  where  they  could  see  the  Loire 
without  danger  of  being  themselves  descried,  for 
they  were  out  of  the  moonlight  under  the  trees,, 
and  here  they  took  their  first  meal  together,  with 
great  content  and  talk  and  Jaughter,  as  if  they 
had  known  each  other  for  years  instead  of  hours. 
The  height  of  the  moon  showed  that  it  was  some- 
where about  midnight. 


Cardillac,  before  sitting  down  on  the  sward, 
broke  one  of  his  loaves  into  pieces,  and  fed  them 
to  his  horse,  from  whose  head  he  had  removed 
the  bridle.  Once  again  he  removed  the  saddle 
from  the  animal's  back,  and  was  about  to  arrange 
it  for  the  convenience  of  Marie,  as  he  had  done 
in  the  forest,  when  she  laughingly  protested  that 
a  picnic  furnished  with  a  chair  was  incongruous, 
neither  chair  nor  table  being  allowable  at  such  a 
festivity.  So  he  spread  his  cloak  as  a  carpet  on 
the  ground,  and  on  this  she  ensconced  herself, 
playing  hostess  with  an  admirable  vivacity  which 
he  found  most  alluring. 

He  sprawled  full  length  on  the  ground  opposite 
her,  and  together  they  enjoyed  the  refection  pro- 
vided by  the  inn-keeper  of  Beaugency.  He  re- 
clined there  with  great  content,  enjoying  a  de- 
licious sensation  of  drowsiness  and  complete  rest, 
most  pleasurable  after  the  struggles  through  which 
he  had  come. 

She,  with  her  feet  drawn  up  under  her,  leaning 
her  elbow  on  the  saddle,  her  fine  eyes  heavy  with 
lack  of  sleep,  murmured  dreamily  in  what  the 
young  man  thought  was  the  most  musical  voice 
he  had  ever  heard. 

"  It  is  now  likely  that  we  are  quite  safe  from 
pursuit,"  he  said,  "  and  there  is  twice  as  much 
time  as  we  need  to  reach  Maloche's  farm  before 
he  and  his  family  are  astir,  so,  all  in  all,  a  com- 


230  CARDILLAC 

plicated  situation  has  resolved  itself  into  one  of 
complete  simplicity,  and  that's  a  comfort.  I  do 
dislike  being  hurried,  and  always  prefer  to  face 
an  enemy  and  get  it  over  with,  rather  than  allow 
him  to  chase  me.  I  detest  a  flight  from  my  foes, 
no  matter  how  many  they  are,  for  such  a  contin- 
gency causes  one  to  put  on  a  speed  that  is  in- 
convenient. I  like  to  stroll  through  the  world  in- 
dolently, as  a  gentleman  should." 

"  Then  you  ought  to  become  a  monk,  monsieur, 
and  lead  the  placid  life." 

"  Indeed,  Marie,  I  have  often  envied  the 
monastic  orders,  but  within  twenty-four  hours  I 
have  realised  that  such  an  existence  is  not  for 
me." 

"What  caused  you  to  change  your  mind?" 

"  The  meeting  with  you,  Marie  Duchamps." 


CHAPTER   XXI 

AVOWALS    AND    ADVICE 

BUT  you  met  me  in  a  convent,  and  that,  one 
might  think,  should  have  given  an  impetus 
to  your  first  resolution." 

"  Did  you  ever  meditate  upon  taking  the  veil, 
Marie?" 

"Often;  but  lately  I  have  changed  my  mind." 

"  Ah,"  cried  the  young  man  with  eagerness, 
"why  was  that?" 

"  Because,"  replied  the  girl  languidly,  "  my  re- 
cent experience  of  the  cloisters  shows  that  they 
are  no  protection  against  man.  He  breaks  in  and 
steals.  He  grasps  one  by  the  wrist;  he  shakes 
one  by  the  shoulders;  storms,  threatens,  makes 
uncomplimentary  remarks,  or,  worse  still,  tries 
flattery.  No,  the  convent  was  a  disappointment 
towards  the  last." 

"  Well,    Marie,"    demurred  ,  Cardillac,    "  you  '* 
were  eager  enough  to  leave  it." 

"I  was  commanded  by  a  woman  and  coerced 
by  a  man,  so  what  could  a  poor  defenceless  crea- 
ture like  myself  do?" 

"  Do?     Why,  she  could  revenge  herself  on  th& 

231 


232  CARDILLAC 

man  afterwards;  threaten  him  with  her  stiletto, 
and  torment  him  with  a  thousand  uncertainties 
that  sting  worse  than  the  sharpest  steel.  Never- 
theless, I  am  sorry  I  treated  you  roughly,  Marie^ 
and  I  hope  you  will  forgive  me." 

"  Oh,  I  have  forgiven  you  long  since,  mon- 
sieur. You  did  nothing  very  drastic  after  all,  but 
for  an  indolent  man  you  seemed  to  be  in  a  tre- 
mendous hurry.  I  never  saw  one  so  breathless 
before.  First  you  tumbled  over  me  at  the  door, 
then,  as  I  suspect,  went  headlong  across  the  well- 
curb,  and  at  last  came  heedlessly  down  that  rope 
to  the  discomfiture  of  your  wound,  so  now  it  is 
amusing  to  hear  you  speak  of  your  love  of 
leisure." 

'You  find  nothing  but  comicality  in  my  con- 
versation, perhaps,  mademoiselle,"  complained 
Cardillac. 

"  Be  assured  you  have  been  very  entertaining, 
monsieur.  I  never  before  spent  so  interesting  an 
evening  in  my  life;  I  am  sure  no  companion  of 
yours  could  justly  complain  of  ennui  while  in  your 
society." 

"Are  you  ever  serious,  Marie?" 

"  Oh,  ve^y  often,  monsieur,  sometimes  intensely 
serious." 

"  It  is  possible,  mademoiselle,  that  you  find  it 
difficult  to  take  me  seriously." 


AVOWALS    AND    ADVICE 

The  girl  pondered  over  this  remark,  and  seemed 
half  asleep,  as  he  watched  her  closely.  At  last 
she  said: 

"  I  should  be  very  unfair  if  I  did  not  take  you 
seriously  now.  At  the  request  of  the  Duke  de 
Montreuil,  you  undertook  a  task  of  extreme  dif- 
ficulty, which  you  have  carried  out  with  a  per- 
sistence that  is  marvellous.  You  have  shown  de- 
termination, bravery  and  resource,  and  even  at 
the  last  moment  you  snatched  victory  from  de- 
feat." 

"Ah,  yes,  but  I  did  not  snatch  mademoiselle 
from  the  convent." 

The  girl,  with  half-opened  eyes,  looked  quiz- 
zically across  at  him. 

"Do  you  so  bitterly  regret  that  mademoiselle 
is  not  here,  monsieur?  " 

Cardillac  sat  up  suddenly. 

"  Now  and  then,  Marie,  you  say  something 
that  illuminates  my  mind  as  a  torch  lights  up  a 
dark  chamber.  Disappointed  as  I  was  at  missing 
mademoiselle,  I  am  now  thrilled  with  a  holy  joy 
that  she  is  absent;  that  there  is  no  one  here  but 
yourself  and  myself." 

"  Am  I  to  take  that  as  a  personal  compliment, 
monsieur?  Surely  the  company  of  such  as  I  can- 
not be  held  the  equivalent  of  a  great  lady*s  so- 
ciety?" 


CARDILLAC 

"Yes,  Marie,  it  can.  I'd  rather  be  here  alone 
with  you  than  share  the  comradeship  of  Made- 
moiselle de  Montreuil." 

'  You  astonish  me,  monsieur.  If  what  you  say 
is  true,  then  there  is  nothing  in  that  distinction  of 
class  upon  which  you  insisted  so  strongly  when  we 
first  became  acquainted.  Respect  for  caste  has 
been  ingrained  in  me  ever  since  I  could  walk,  but 
you  teach  me  that  I  am  still  very  young,  with 
many  vital  points  of  life  yet  to  be  unfolded  to 
me." 

"  Marie,  I  speak  with  deep  regard  and  a  great 
respect  for  you  when  I  say  that  mademoiselle 
would  not  have  done  what  you  did  to  save  my 
life.  I  should  like  to  put  my  admiration  into 
words  that  would  not  offend  you,  and,  unskilled 
as  I  am  in  language,  I  venture  only  this  far,  trust- 
ing that  you  may  believe  in  the  sincerity  of  my 
gratitude." 

Marie's  eyes  were  no  longer  visible  to  him ;  she 
spoke  in  a  whisper  that  only  the  deep  silence  of  the 
forest  rendered  audible. 

"  Monsieur  de  Cardillac,  you  are  unjust  to  made- 
moiselle. Believe  me,  whatever  I  did  to  save  a 
friend  Mademoiselle  Therese  de  Montreuil  would 
have  done.  I  thank  you  for  your  appreciation, 
and  we  must  never  speak  of  this  again." 

"The  subject  is  banished  forever,  Marie,  and 
now  let  me  say  that  I  am  most  anxious  to  earn  your 


AVOWALS    AND    ADVICE  235 

approbation.  The  moment  you  are  safe  within 
the  chateau  of  Blois,  I  shall  return  to  the  con- 
vent at  Beaugency,  and  this  time  I  shall  not  fail, 
for  I  am  inspired  by  another  thought  than  that 
of  money.  I  shall  lead  mademoiselle  in  safety 
to  her  father.  I  shall  refuse  his  thousand  pistoles, 
but,  being  selfish,  will  come  to  you  for  my  reward. 
Will  you  form  such  a  compact  with  me,  Marie?  " 

The  girl  looked  quickly  up  at  him,  with  alarm 
in  her  eyes. 

"No,  no,"  she  said.  "  'Twould  be  madness; 
'twould  be  suicide.  All  that  district  is  alive  with 
enemies  searching  for  you.  I  cannot  permit  it;  I 
will  not  permit  it." 

"  My  enemies,"  cried  Cardillac  grandly,  with  a 
wave  of  his  hand,  "I  shall  brush  aside.  The 
only  serious  disadvantage  of  the  task  is  that  I  may 
be  compelled  to  make  a  night  journey  with 
mademoiselle,  wishing  all  the  time  that  you  were 
in  her  stead." 

"  If  you  do  not  obey  me,"  insisted  the  young 
lady,  her  former  arrogance  returning,  "  I  shall 
never  permit  you  to  see  me  again." 

"  But — but  think  of  that  poor  creature  immured 
in  such  a  grim  prison.  Think  of  her  helpless 
and • "  , 

"  Monsieur,  Mademoiselle  de  Montreuil  re- 
mains where  she  is  by  her  own  desire.  Your  heed- 
less intervention  would  frustrate  all  her  plans." 


236  CARDILLAC 

"What  are  her  plans?"  demanded  Cardillac, 
taken  aback  by  her  vehemence,  yet  flattered  to 
think  perhaps  her  motive  was  his  own  safety. 

"  It  is  not  for  me  to  disclose  them  without  her 
permission,  even  if  I  know  what  they  are,  which 
I  neither  admit  nor  deny." 

"  But  my  word  is  pledged  to  her  father,  Marie." 

"Your  anxiety  on  that  point,  monsieur,  will  be 
speedily  resolved.  All  I  ask  is  that  you  shall  wait 
until  you  hear  from  the  Duke  de  Montreuil  him- 
self. I  bear  a  letter  from  his  daughter  which 
will  be  forwarded  to  him.  There  only  needs  to 
be  added  to  this  letter  a  statement  of  your  where- 
abouts, when  the  duke  will  communicate  with  you, 
and  I  shall  be  surprised  if  you  do  not  find  him 
entirely  of  his  daughter's  mind.  I  may  add  that 
although  under  the  late  regime  the  duke  ruled 
France,  mademoiselle  rules  the  duke.  You  will  be 
requested  by  the  duke  himself  to  forgo  any  further 
efforts  towards  the  release  of  his  daughter." 

"You  bear  a  letter  from  mademoiselle  to  her 
father?  How  can  that  be,  Marie?  The  lady 
had  no  time  to  write  more  than  that  hurried  scrawl 
which  you  gave  to  me  on  the  highroad." 

Marie's  reply  showed  that  she  was  far  from 
pleased  at  the  doubt  thrown  upon  her  veracity. 

"  I  told  you  before,  monsieur,  that  you  were 
longer  cutting  the  rope  than  you  imagined.  The 


AVOWALS    AND    ADVICE  237 

question  is,  are  you  or  are  you  not  going  to  obey 
me?" 

"  I  shall  obey  you  in  all  things,  Marie." 

"Then  why  raise  so  many  objections?" 

"  Because  I  regret  that  you  take  from  me  the 
one  opportunity  I  possess  of  proving  my  devo- 
tion to  you." 

"  Do  you  really  desire  to  prove  that?  " 

"  Marie,  you  know  I  do." 

"Then,  instead  of  selfishly  selecting  your  own 
path,  why  not  act  like  a  knight  of  olden  time, 
and  request  the  lady  to  present  you  with  the  op- 
portunity presumably  desired  so  much?  It  is  pos- 
sible she  might  be  pleased  if  asked  to  name  an 
emprise  dearer  to  her  heart  than  the  rescue  of 
Mademoiselle  de  Montreuil,  and  there  is  a  likeli- 
hood— although  of  that  I  cannot  at  the  moment 
speak  positively — that  she  may  reward  you  suita- 
bly if  you  are  successful  in  your  essay." 

"  Marie,  name  the  adventure,  and,  always  pre- 
mising that  the  Duke  de  Montreuil  releases  me,  I 
shall  undertake  it." 

"  Monsieur,  you  seem  very  desirous  of  flying 
to  the  aid  of  a  young  woman  not  yet  twenty;  one 
who  is  wealthy,  said  to  be  beautiful,  and  admit- 
tedly capricious." 

"  Marie,"  declared  Cardillac  earnestly,  snap- 
ping his  finger,  and  thumb  in  the  air,  "I  do  not 


238  CARDILLAC 

care  that  for  Mademoiselle  de  Montreuil.     It  is 
only  that  my  word  is  pledged  to  her  father." 

"Very  well.  Would  it  not  be  more  chivalrous 
to  assist  an  old  woman  who  is  in  dire  necessity, 
one  imprisoned  in  a  strong  castle  and  not  in  a 
convent,  one  surrounded  not,  by  nuns,  but  by  ten 
thousand  of  the  King's  troops?" 

"Oh,  you  mean  the  Queen?" 

"Yes,  I  mean  the  Queen." 

"  But  why  are  you  so  much  interested  in  Her 
Majesty?  I  thought  it  was  Mademoiselle  de 
Montreuil  herself  who,  according  to  what  her 
father  said,  was  absorbed  in  that  enterprise.  Are 
you  so  devoted  to  mademoiselle  that  you  adopt 
every  cause  she  favours?  " 

"  Yes,  monsieur,  I  am.  She  is  tire-woman  to 
the  Queen;  I  am  tire-woman  to  her;  therefore, 
you  see,  I  am  but  two  steps  from  the  throne. 
Mademoiselle  and  I  are  equally  faithful  to  Marie 
de  Medicis." 

'  Then,  Marie,  the  question  is  settled.  The 
Queen  leaves  Blois  very  shortly  under  my  escort, 
and  her  ten  thousand  jailors  may  go  hang." 

Marie  laughed  quietly,  but  with  a  certain  note 
of  satisfaction. 

"  Monsieur,  you  are  very  confident." 

"  That  is  because  the  reward  I  promise  myself 
is  one  very  greatly  desired  by  me." 

"  I   make   no   doubt,   monsieur,    that   your   re- 


AVOWALS    AND    ADVICE  239 

ward  will  be  ample.  I  am  sure  that  the  Duke 
d'Epernon,  the  Duke  de  Montreuil,  and  all  the 
wealthy  adherents  of  the  Queen  will  make  you  a 
rich  man  if  you  are  successful  in  your  undertak- 
ing." 

"  Marie,  that  is  unkind.  The  knights  of  old 
whom  you  mention  did  not  work  for  a  wage  in 
gold,  neither  shall  the  chink  of  coin  urge  me  on, 
but  rather  the  notes  of  a  woman's  voice." 

"  I  hope  the  woman  will  prove  worthy  of  a 
sentiment  so  lofty.  In  these  days  of  bribery  it 
is  refreshing  to  meet  a  man  uninfluenced  by  cu- 
pidity. Now  listen  to  one  woman's  voice,  and 
pay  heed  to  her  recommendation.  You  must  do 
nothing  recklessly,  nor  in  that  haste  which  you  so 
much  deplored  a  while  since.  I  counsel  you  to 
rest  until  your  wound  is  completely  healed.  The 
farm  of  Maloche  seems  a  little  too  near  Blois  to 
be  a  safe  residence  for  you  at  the  present  mo- 
ment. 

"  I  advise,  therefore,  that  you  retire  to  Mont- 
richard,  and  stop  there  until  the  hue  and  cry  for 
you  has  ended.  By  that  time  your  arm  will  be 
well  again,  and  if  I  have  succeeded  in  gaining 
admittance  to  the  castle,  I  shall  have  become  ac- 
quainted with  the  situation  and  the  guards,  and 
so  be  in  a  position  to  aid  you;  I  inside  the  walls, 
and  you  without.  Perhaps  we  could  arrange  a 
meeting  now  and  then,  either  in  the  town  of  Blois 


240  CARDILLAC 

or  on  the  farm  of  Maloche,  which  is  like  to  prove 
the  safer  spot.  There  I  can  inform  you  minutely 
of  the  dangers  to  be  encountered,  and  perhaps 
may  be  able  to  furnish  some  hints  of  value." 

"  I  see  I  am  going  to  like  this  task,"  said  Car- 
dillac. 

"  I  hope  you  will  succeed  in  it,  monsieur." 

"  Well,  Marie,  considering  the  warning  I  have 
given  you,  I  am  delighted  to  hear  you  express 
that  hope." 

"  And  now,  monsieur,  I  think  you  are  forgetting 
your  horse.  He  is  looking  yearningly  towards 
the  remnants  of  our  bread." 

Cardillac  sprang  to  his  feet,  gave  the  horse 
another  feed,  then  led  him  down  to  the  margin 
of  the  river  that  he  might  drink.  On  his  return 
he  saw  that  Marie  had  laid  her  head  upon  the 
saddle,  and  was  already  sound  asleep.  She  had 
drawn  her  own  cloak  round  her  shoulders,  and 
in  the  dim  light  looked  very  young,  almost  baby- 
ish. Cardillac  sat  down  with  his  back  againsS 
the  tree,  but,  drowsy  as  he  was,  the  throbbing  in 
his  arm,  which  had  swelled  considerably,  banished 
sleep;  therefore,  like  the  knight  of  old,  he  kept 
vigil. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THE     FARM    OF    MALOCHE 

A  daybreak  the  pair  on  horseback  came 
out  upon  the  St.  Aignan  road,  a  short 
distance  south  of  the  farmhouse  that  was 
their  destination.  Maloche  and  his  industrious 
family  of  young  men  and  women  were  at  their 
morning's  work,  when  the  old  farmer  was  aston- 
ished to  see  Cardillac  come  riding  into  the  court- 
yard with  a  comely  young  woman  behind  him. 
Maloche  had  heard  nothing  from  this  youth  since 
he  had  stopped  with  them  some  months  before 
en  route  for  Paris,  but  the  splendour  of  the  lad's 
costume  seemed  to  indicate  that  he  had  met  pros- 
perity in  the  great  city. 

It  had  been  agreed  between  the  two  travellers 
that  nothing  should  be  said  of  their  coming  from 
Beaugency,  and,  indeed,  their  arrival  from  the 
south  caused  the  farmer  to  believe  that  the  young 
man  had  been  visiting  his  ,own  home,  and  was 
once  more  on  the  way  to  Paris.  Cardillac  did 
not  dispel  this  illusion,  and  introduced  Marie  Du- 
champs  as  a  friend  of  his  family  who  desired  to 
take  service  with  the  Queen.. 

Maloche,  who  drove  daily  into  Blois  with  sup- 

241 


CARDILLAC 

plies  for  both  chateau  and  garrison,  said  that  it 
would  be  difficult  for  the  girl  to  get  such  a  place 
unless  she  were  well  recommended,  and  her  loyalty 
to  the  present  regime  fully  established.  To  this 
Cardillac  replied  that  he  had  been  informed  in 
Paris  that  all  the  Queen's  ladies-in-waiting,  with 
one  or  two  exceptions,  had  been  allowed  to  ac- 
company her  to  Blois.  This  Maloche  admitted 
was  true ;  the  Queen  had  been  permitted  to  choose 
such  of  her  former  adherents  as  she  wished 
to  have  in  attendance  during  her  imprisonment; 
but  a  girl  coming  from  the  south,  like  Marie  Du- 
champs,  could  not  hope  to  enter  this  inner  circle 
unless  she  were  personally  "acquainted  with  the 
Queen,  and  her  name  submitted  to  the  authorities 
in  Paris. 

Aside  from  the  Queen's  personal  body-guard,  as 
one  might  term'  it;  there  were  numerous  other 
servants  engaged  who  were  selected  because  they 
were  loyal  to  the  King  and  unknown  to  the  King's 
mother.  They  were  chosen  by  the  commander  of 
the  garrison,  and  it  was  well  known  that  their 
presence  was  not  primarily  intended  for  the  con- 
venience of  the  Queen,  but  rather  that  they  were 
expected  to  spy  upon  her  and  all  who  belonged  to 
her.  A  stranger  might  possibly  gain  admittance 
to  this  outer  circle  of  service,  but,  as  a  rule,  those 
in  charge  of  the  Queen's  safe-keeping  selected  ser- 
vants personally  known  to  them.  Maloche  said 


THE    FARM    OF    MALOCHE  243 

that  one  of  his  own  daughters  was  employed  in 
the  palace,  and  he  met  her  nearly  every  day. 

Phyllis  Maloche  did  work  that  required  strength 
rather  than  mentality;  work  that  came  easy  to  a 
stalwart  country  girl,  but  which  a  fragile  creature 
like  Marie  Duchamps  could  not  accomplish.  Ma- 
loche seemed  to  think  that  Marie  was  herself  too 
much  like  a  lady  to  obtain  a  position  as  servant, 
but  Cardillac  assured  him  that  in  the  higher 
branches  of  service  were  many  girls  of  beauty  and 
culture  whose  manners  were  quite  equal  to  those 
of  their  mistress.  Maloche  replied  that  he  had 
heard  such  was  the  case,  and  added  that  the  palace 
swarmed  with  servants  of  all  grades,  and  that  he 
did  not  doubt  if  patience  and  a  little  common- 
sense  were  used,  a  place  might  be  found  entirely 
to  the  satisfaction  of  Marie  Duchamps.  But  be- 
ing a  practical,  common-sense  man  himself,  he 
stated  quite  emphatically  that  it  would  be  futile 
for  Marie  to  enter  Blois  alone  and — without  rec- 
ommendation that  could  bear  the  strictest  scrutiny 
— expect  to  gain  admittance  even  to  the  precincts 
of  the  palace. 

If,  then,  she  would  rest  content  at  the  farm  for 
some  days,  he  would  make  enquiries  of  his  daugh- 
ter that  very  morning,  learn  what  positions  were 
vacant,  and  then  set  about  getting  one  suitable  for 
Marie.  It  was  quite  possible,  he  said,  that  a  girl 
so  pretty  and  engaging  might  attract  the  atten- 


244  CARDILLAC 

tion  of  the  Queen  herself.  But  if  she  were  thus 
singled  out  by  such  high  favour,  and  if  the  authori- 
ties sanctioned  the  selection,  Marie  would  then 
herself  become  a  prisoner,  for  none  of  the  Queen's 
coterie  was  allowed  outside  the  palace — indeed, 
they  were  not  suffered  to  leave  the  first  floor,  where 
the  Queen's  apartments  were  situated,  in  the  wing 
of  Francis  I;  whereas  if  Marie  got  a  situation 
among  the  ordinary  servants  of  the  chateau,  she 
would  retain  full  liberty  to  come  from  castle  to 
town  or  even  into  the  country  without  hindrance, 
unless  she  became  suspected  of  carrying  informa- 
tion, in  which  case  her  speedy  dismissal  would 
take  place. 

Maloche  had  been  told  at  Blois  that  emissaries 
of  the  Duke  d'Epernon  had  time  and  again  en- 
deavoured to  establish  communication  with  the 
Queen,  l#it  these  plans,  he  understood,  had  been 
discovered  and  frustrated,  and  it  was  believed  that 
several  executions  had  taken  place,  the  victims 
being  spies  caught  red-handed.  All  this  informa- 
tion Cardillac  gathered  from  Maloche  in  conver- 
sation during  the  first  morning  of  his  stay.  Marie 
had  disappeared  in  company  with  one  of 
Maloche's  daughters,  and  the  old  farmer  talked 
quite  freely  with  his  young  friend. 

Maloche  was  a  typical' peasant  of  his  time;  a 
grave,  stalwart  old  man,  -and  an  indefatigable 
worker,  shrewd  in  making  .a  bargain,  greedy  in 


THE    FARM    OF   MALOCHE  245 

the  accumulation  of  money,  living  in  the  midst 
of  plenty  with  great  frugality,  undisputed  master 
of  his  own  house,  no  member  of  his  family  daring 
to  thwart  him.  For  the  nobility  he  possessed  an 
inherited  respect,  and  was  flattered  that  a  young 
scion  of  a  noble  house,  like  Cardillac,  visited  him 
now  and  then.  Doubtless  the  son  of  his  former 
landlord  was  the  more  welcome  in  that  he  was 
lavish  with  his  money  when  he  had  any,  and  dur- 
ing this  sojourn  he  seemed  to  be  plentifully  sup- 
plied with  gold,  which  Maloche  shared  without 
troubling  about  its  origin. 

He  supposed  that  directly  or  indirectly  it  came 
from  the  King,  because  when  Cardillac,  a  few 
months  before,  had  made  the  farm  a  point  of  call, 
the  young  man  was  then  on  his  way  to  Paris  with 
the  avowed  intention  of  entering  the  service  of 
Luynes,  the  new  head  of  the  state.  Maloche  took 
it  for  granted  that  every  member  of  the  aristoc- 
racy who  went  well  recommended  to  Paris  be- 
came rich,  and  Cardillac  had  flaunted  an  invi- 
tation from  no  less  a  personage  than  the  Prime 
Minister  himself,  so  it  never  occurred  to  the  farmer 
that  Cardillac  had  changed  his  colours  and  was 
now  an  avowed  partisan  of  the  Qujpen  Mother,  and 
an  enemy  of  her  enemies,  including  her  son,  the 
King. 

Like  all  agriculturists  of  that  day,  Maloche 
betrayed  no  interest  in  politics.  All  that  he  wished 


246  CARDILLAC 

was  to  be  left  alone,  and  luck  being  his  friend,  he 
had  chosen  a  farm  most  fortunately  situated  for 
his  purposes.  Less  than  a  league  south  of  Blois, 
the  property  was  situated  in  that  large  wedge  of 
country  south  of  the  Loire,  which,  by  tacit  con- 
sent of  King's  men  and  Queen's  men,  was  regarded 
as  neutral  territory. 

Although  small  parties  of  either  faction  might 
traverse  it,  they  did  so  peacefully,  for  if  either 
side  had  invaded  it  with  a  large  body  of  men, 
the  other  would  be  bound  to  counteract  that  move, 
and  so  there  would  be  danger  of  a  battle  being 
precipitated  that  might  deliver  over  the  country 
to  the  horrors  of  civil  war. 

Briefly,  the  situation  was  this.  Every  day  that 
Luynes  gained  without  a  conflict  was  so  much  to 
the  good,  and  as  the  eventless  days  went  by,  the 
King  became  more  and  more  firmly  seated  on  his 
throne.  By  a  masterly  arrangement  of  his  forces 
Luynes  had  checkmated  the  opposition.  Al- 
though all  France  was  in  a  state  of  tension,  never- 
theless the  tension  would  relax  rather  than  in- 
crease with  time,  because  there  were  continual 
desertions  from  the  Queen's  partisans  to  the  party 
in  actual  power. 

Luynes  counted  on  the  almost  universal  de- 
sire of  human  nature  to  be  on  the  side  that  was 
apparently  winning,  and  the  side  de  facto  in  office, 
and  events  were  proving  him  right.  But  once  al- 


THE   FARM   OF   MALOCHE          247 

low  the  passions  of  battle  free  rein,  let  Luynes 
lose  an  important  battle,  and  the  whole  situation 
would  be  in  the  melting  pot;  a  melting  pot  heated 
on  the  red  furnace  of  war. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Duke  d'Epernon,  com- 
mander of  the  Queen's  forces,  dare  not  risk  a  fight 
until  he  obtained  possession  of  the  Queen,  because 
any  hostile  move  on  his  part  might  result  in  the 
instant  execution  of  Her  Majesty,  if  Luynes  pos- 
sessed the  courage  to  commit  such  an  act.  Luynes 
was  as  yet  an  unknown  quantity,  no  man  among 
the  Queen's  forces  being  aware  whether  he  was 
brave  or  the  reverse,  therefore  the  strong  force 
under  the  Duke  d'Epernon  lay  for  the  moment 
nullified. 

Thirty  years  before  these  events  Europe  had 
been  given  a  drastic  example  of  what  a  courageous 
monarch  might  do  in  similar  circumstances,  and 
Europe  was  thrilled  with  horror  when  the  head 
of  Mary,  Queen  of  Scots,  rolled  bleeding  to  the 
dust.  The  results  growing  from  this  execution 
were  such  as  to  strengthen  the  hand  of  Luynes, 
and  render  d'Epernon  still  more  cautious.  Al- 
though all  Europe  execrated  the  deed,  it  was  now 
a  matter  of  history  that  it  had  brought  peace  to 
the  island,  and  sixteen  years  after  the  execution, 
Elizabeth  died  admittedly  the  greatest  monarch 
that  had  ever  sat  on  the  English  throne,  and  well- 
nigh  mistress  of  the  worjd. 


248  CARDILLAC 

Why  should  not  the  French  King  do  what  the 
English  Queen  had  done,  and  save  his  country 
from  bloodshed  by  the  sacrifice  of  one  woman, 
whom  at  least  half  of  France  regarded  as  a  for- 
eigner, and  an  attempted  ursurper  of  power  that 
rightfully  belonged  to  her  son?  Once  Marie  de 
Medicis  was  eliminated,  all  opposition  to  the  new 
King  must  of  necessity  cease,  for  there  would  then 
be  no  centre  for  the  forces  of  an  executed  Queen 
to  rally  round;  thus  two  armies,  of  nearly  equal 
strength,  stood  on  the  alert,  neither  daring  to  fire 
a  shot. 

But  this  balanced  situation  made  the  adventure 
of  Cardillac  all  the  more  exasperating  to  the 
authorities  in  Paris.  He  had  done  worse  than 
win  a  battle:  he  had  made  Luynes  the  laugh- 
ing stock  of  the  country.  All  France  was  smiling 
in  sympathy  with  the  inmpetuous  lad,  who  seemed 
to  typify  the  dash,  the  bravery  and  the  humour 
of  his  land. 

The  story  of  his  exploits  was  permeating  to  the 
most  remote  districts,  losing  nothing  as  it  travelled. 
It  became  known  that  for  months  he  had  waited 
day  by  day  with  the  utmost  patience  in  the  public 
hall  of  Luynes's  own  house,  while  that  great  man 
had  never  accorded  him  the  favour  of  a  word 
or  an  interview.  The  minions  of  Luynes  under- 
took to  trap  the  guileless  youth,  but  he  baffled  the 
police  of  Paris,  supposed  to  be  the  most  acute  in 


THE    FARM    OF    MALOCHE  249 

the  world,  leaping  unscathed  out  of  the  capital, 
past  all  its  guards,  bringing  with  him  the  power- 
ful noble  Luynes  wished  to  hold  in  his  clutch, 
fooled  the  King's  army  as  he  had  fooled  the  Par- 
isian police,  and  actually  entered  the  convent  under 
the  support  of  a  King's  officer  in  uniform  while 
four  of  the  King's  soldiers  were  detailed  for  es- 
cort. 

Defying  alike  those  two  almost  omnipotent 
bodies,  the  church  and  state,  he  broke  into  the 
convent,  barred  his  enemies  out,  and  utterly  dis- 
appeared with  the  girl  who  had  been  hostage  for 
her  father's  good  behaviour,  while  her  father  had 
safely  attained  the  impregnable  fortress  of  Loches. 

One  poet  in  Paris  advised  Luynes  to  search 
for  Cardillac  in  the  planet  of  Mars,  for  from 
thence  such  a  war-like,  resourceful  youth  must  have 
come,  or  the  planet  Venus,  for  thither  he  must 
have  taken  the  most  beautiful  young  woman  in 
France.  As  day  followed  day,  and  nothing  what- 
ever was  heard  of  the  pair,  although  innocent 
couples  were  arrested  here  and  there  all  over  the 
land,  the  good  will  of  their  countrymen  and  coun- 
trywomen went  out  to  Cardillac,  and  the  laughter 
at  Luynes  increased,  while  all  the  sleuth-hounds  at 
his  disposal  searched  every  nook  and  cranny  in 
vain. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

CIRCUMVENTING    THE    PEASANT 

THE  young  people  had  lived  quietly  for  a 
week  under  the  economical  roof  of  the 
frugal  farmer,  paying  a  price  for  their 
accommodation  that  should  have  entitled  them  to 
a  palace.  Both  had  discarded  their  finery  and 
adopted  the  peasant  dress  of  host  and  hostess,  not 
wishing  to  attract  any  undue  attention  from  chance 
passers-by.  Day  by  day  Maloche  had  gone  to 
Blois  with  his  cartload  of  market  produce,  and 
each  morning  he  saw  his  daughter  in  the  palace, 
thus  learning  what  progress  was  being  made  in 
the  search  for  a  situation  that  Marie  Duchamps 
might  fill.  At  last  he  was  asked  to  bring  the.  girl 
with  him  on  his  next  visit  to  the  town. 

Having  been  promised  a  most  satisfactory  fee 
for  his  good  offices  in  this  matter,  the  old  man 
left  the  palace  door  with  some  satisfaction.  As  he 
walked  across  the  square,  his  attention  was  at- 
tracted by  a  troop  of  soldiers  convulsed  with  bois- 
terous laughter.  Someone  was  telling  a  story, 
gesticulating  dramatically,  and  his  recital  seemed 
to  be  very  successful. 

250 


CIRCUMVENTING   THE    PEASANT     251 

Maloche  was  not  a  humourous  man,  and  was 
moving  glumly  on,  when  the  name  Cardillac  caught 
his  ear.  He  paused  and  listened  with  ever-deep- 
ening horror.  This  was  the  first  he  had  heard 
of  the  escapade  of  which  nearly  everybody  else 
was  talking.  Had  he  been  sheltering  a  man  whose 
head  was  forfeit  to  the  state  and  whose  soul  was 
condemned  by  the  church?  It  seemed  incredible, 
and  yet  he  must  unconsciously  have  been  harbour- 
ing the  man  for  whom  all  France  was  in  search; 
a  villain  guilty  of  rebellion  and  sacrilege.  At  first 
a  cold  anger  rose  slowly  in  the  heart  of  the  old 
man  as  he  bethought  him  how  selfishly  this  friv- 
olous youth  had  placed  his  family  and  possessions 
in  extreme  jeopardy,  for  no  one  would  believe  his 
own  assertion  that  sanctuary  had  been  accorded 
to  Cardillac  in  innocence.  This,  then,  was  the 
source  of  the  gold  that  the  young  man  had  flung 
away  so  recklessly,  and  which  the  farmer  had 
taken  with  no  doubt  of  its  loyal  origin. 

Maloche  at  once  determined  to  lay  information 
before  the  commander  of  the  palace  that  would 
lead  to  Cardillac's  capture,  and  he  turned  towards 
that  officer's  residence,  his  steps  in  no  way  im- 
peded by  the  thought  that  a  great  reward  would 
be  his. 

The  soldier  had  said  that  the  King  was  willing 
to  give  a  prince's  ransom  for  this  culprit,  dead  or 
alive,  and  no  harm  could  come  to  any  who  killed 


CARDILLAC 

Cardillac,  for  he  was  already  outlawed  by  the  state, 
and  banned  by  the  bishop  of  Tours,  while  ex- 
communication was  expected  from  the  Pope  him- 
self. It  was  bad  enough  to  break  into  any  con- 
vent, but  to  violate  that  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  held 
in  the  highest  esteem  by  the  church,  and  presided 
over  by  a  princess  of  the  blood  royal,  made  his 
crime  unforgivable  by  either  church  or  state. 

Arriving  at  the  ante-chamber  of  the  commander, 
he  was  gruffly  ordered  to  seat  himself  on  a  bench 
along  the  wall,  and  there  for  half  an  hour  he  was 
allowed  to  cool  his  heels,  and  likewise  his  anger. 
Well  he  knew  the  tyrannical  nature  of  these  of- 
ficers, and  the  brutality  of  the  soldiers.  Being  a 
shrewd  man,  he  began  to  estimate  his  own  danger, 
and  thus  became  more  and  more  impressed  by  the 
fact  that  no  one  would  believe  he  had  visited  Blois 
day  by  day  for  nearly  a  week,  and  yet  knew 
nothing  of  this  event  about  which  all  France  was 
talking. 

The  commander  might  no':  take  into  account 
that  he  was  a  taciturn  man  who  attended  strictly 
to  his  own  business  and  did  not  mix  with  gossips. 
His  first  anger  had  dulled  his  reasoning  powers, 
which  on  ordinary  occasions  were  very  acute.  If 
the  King  was  so  anxious  to  capture  Cardillac,  then 
it  was  certain  that  the  commander  was  on  that 
instant  using  all  his  efforts  to  secure  so  valuable 
a  prize.  Maloche's  own  cunning  began  to  show 


CIRCUMVENTING   THE    PEASANT      253 

him  what  the  commander  would  do.  He  was 
more  likely  than  not  to  throw  the  informer  into  a 
cell,  and  then  gallop  with  a  troop  of  horse  to  the 
farm,  and  himself  capture  Cardillac,  taking  all 
the  credit,  as  well  as  all  the  cash. 

There  came  to  his  mind  the  many  conferences 
he  had  held  with  his  daughter  during  the  past 
week,  and  as  these  conferences  were  for  the  pur- 
pose of  placing  within  the  palace  an  unknown  girl 
who  doubtles-s  was  as  bad  as  Cardillac  himself, 
Maloche  began  to  tremble  as  he  realised  the  in- 
credibility of  the  story  he  must  tell  if  he  stuck 
to  the  truth.  The  result  would  be  loss  of  liberty 
and  the  confiscation  of  his  property. 

Inwardly  cursing  Cardillac,  he  rose,  and  cau- 
tiously made  his  way  out  into  the  open  square 
unnoticed,  the  soldiers  on  guard  paying  little  at- 
tention to  him,  supposing  he  had  merely  some 
complaint  to  make  about  the  price  he  was  paid  for 
his  cabbages.  He  hung  about  the  town  all  day, 
haunting  cheap  drinking  shops  along  the  river, 
and  getting  bit  by  bit  fuller  particulars  of  Car- 
dillac's  adventure.  Gradually  he  made  up  his 
mind  that  he  must  get  rid  of  his  dangerous  guests, 
but  he  would  first  threaten  them  with  arrest,  and 
thus  wring  from  them  full  compensation  for  the 
danger  he  had  run. 

When  Maloche  reached  his  home,  the  last  meal 
of  the  day  was  laid  on  the  table,  and  his  family, 


CAHDILLAC 

with  their  guests,  were  laughing  and  talking  while 
they  waited  for  him,  as  the  repast  could  not  begin 
until  he  arrived. 

All  present  were  struck  to  silence  by  the  sight 
of  the  thunder-cloud  on  the  old  man's  face.  Not 
too  genial  at  his  best,  each  knew  that  something 
disastrous  had  happened.  Maloche  took  his  place 
at  the  head  of  the  table  saying  no  word,  and  the 
meal  was  eaten  in  silence,  although  the  dark  eyes 
of  Therese  de  Montreuil  flashed  now  and  then 
with  indignation  at  the  pall  which  had  fallen 
on  the  company  through  the  incoming  of  an  ill- 
natured  man.  When  supper  was  finished,  Ma- 
loche turned  to  his  elder  guest. 

"  Is  there  another  man  of  your  name,  Monsieur 
de  Cardillac?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  and  a  better  man,  namely  my  father." 

"  Did  your  father  break  into  a  convent?  " 

Cardillac  laughed. 

"  Not  to  my  knowledge,"  he  replied.  "  My 
good  Maloche,  you've  been  hearing  something." 

'  Yes,  I  have  heard  in  what  danger  you  have 
insolently  placed  me,  and,  by  heavens,  you  shall 
pay  for  it!  You  have  been  condemned  by  the 
King,  who  has  ordered  his  subjects  to  take  you 
dead  or  alive.  You  have  been  banned  by  the 
bishop  of. Tours,  and  will  be  excommunicated  by 
the  Pope." 

Cardillac,  who  heard  unmoved  the  sentence  of 


CIRCUMVENTING    THE    PEASANT     255 

the  King,  became  a  little  white  around  the  lips 
when  he  heard  the  intention  of  the  Pope.  The 
girl  watched  him  intently,  her  eyes  ablaze,  casting 
now  and  then  a  glance  at  the  truculent  old  man.. 
All  the  others  were  appalled  into  silence. 

"  I  am  sorry  that  I  have  brought  danger  ta 
you,"  said  Cardillac  slowly.  "If  you  will  carry 
out  your  promise  regarding  the  position  that 
Mademoiselle  Duchamps  desires,  I  will  relieve 
you  of  my  presence  instantly,  and  if  captured,  I 
give  you  my  word  that  I  shall  say  nothing  of  my 
residence  here." 

"  I  made  no  promise,  and  I  will  keep  none." 

"  Then  perhaps  you  will  be  good  enough  to 
give  back  to  the  lady  the  money  you  exacted." 

" The  lady!  "  growled  Maloche  with  bitter  con- 
tempt. 'Tis  likely  this  Duchamps  woman  is  as 
bad  as  yourself." 

"Or  much  worse,"  snapped  Marie. 

All  the  Maloche  family  gasped  with  dismay  at 
her  temerity.  The  old  man  scowled  across  at  her. 

"  Will  you  keep  silent,  hussy ! "  he  roared. 

Marie  placed  her  elbows  on  the  table,  clenched 
her  fists,  and  placed  her  little  chin  in  them,  as  i£ 
forcibly  to  hold  her  mouth  shut.  Cardillac  rose 
quietly,  left  the  room,  and  presently  returned  with 
his  sword  in  his  right  hand. 

"  Gaspard  Maloche,"  he  said,  "  I  have  never 
yet  touched  with  my  weapon  an  unarmed  man, 


256  CARDILLAC 

but  if  you  do  not  address  this  lady  with  civility, 
I'll  tickle  your  ribs  with  sharp  steel." 

Saying  this  he  sat  down  on  the  bench  again, 
his  sword  across  his  knees. 

"  You  must  not  think  to  frighten  me  with  the 
sight  of  a  rapier/'  snarled  Maloche,  whose  ex- 
pression, nevertheless,  showed  that  he  was  not 
too  courageous.  "  There  are  plenty  of  armed  men 
within  call." 

"Well,  that  is  a  pity,"  said  Cardillac,  "for 
whatever  happens  to  me,  I  shall  kill  you  before 
I  am  captured." 

"  This  is  strange  requital  for  my  hospitality," 
complained  the  farmer. 

'  Your  hospitality  was  requited  in  gold.  It  is 
your  treachery  I  requite  in  iron." 

"  There  is  no  treachery  on  my  part.  You  came 
to  my  house  under  false  pretences." 

"  Nevertheless,  if  I  had  entered  a  heathen 
Arab's  tent  in  the  same  circumstances,  I  had  been 
safe;  but  you,  I  suppose,  have  surrounded  this 
"house  with  soldiers." 

"No;  I  said  nothing  at  Blois,  and  there  are 
no  soldiers  nearer  than  that  town,  but  if  you  are 
to  escape,  I  must  be  well  recompensed  for  the  risk 
I  have  taken." 

"That  is  but  justice,  and  I  am  quite  ready  to 
make  terms  with  you,  so  long  as  the  terms  are 
pleasing  to  the  lady  who  accompanies  me.  But 


CIRCUMVENTING   THE    PEASANT       257 

no  one  leaves  this  room  until  your  promise  this 
time  has  been  registered  on  oath.  Even  if  I  am 
threatened  with  excommunication,  you  will  never- 
theless have  charged  your  soul  with  perjury  if 
you  break  your  word  to  us." 

"  I  shall  make  no  terms  with  this  man,"  said 
Marie  decidedly. 

"  Keep  silence,  file  de  cuisine/'  roared  Maloche, 
bringing  his  huge  fist  down  on  the  table;  but  the 
roar  swelled  into  a  howl  as  Cardillac  gently 
pricked  him  in  the  elbow  with  the  point  of  his 
sword. 

The  girl  was  standing  up,  her  face  flushed  with 
anger,  her  eyes  snapping  black  lightning. 

"  You  base-born,  grovelling  peasant,  do  you  dare 
to  address  me  in  such  language?  You  talk  of 
danger  to  us  without  the  sense  to  realise  the  peril 
in  which  you  yourself  stand.  At  a  word  from 
me  my  father  shall  gallop  across  from  Loches  at 
the  head  of  a  thousand  horsemen,  and  will  burn 
down  your  homestead  over  your  slit  ears.  Not  all 
the  ten  thousand  soldiers  in  Blois  can  save  you, 
even  if  they  consented  to  take  the  trouble,  which 
they  would  not.  They  value  you  as  little  as  they 
do  their  own  swine. 

1  You  dare  taunt  Victor  de  Cardillac  with  ex- 
communication !  I  tell  you  he  shall  not  be  excom- 
municated, and  the  ban  of  the  bishop  of  Tours 
will  be  dissolved  by  an  edict  from  his  superior, 


258  CARDILLAC 

the  archbishop  of  Toulouse,  who  is  my  friend, 
and  my  father's  friend,  and  the  son  of  the  Duke 
d'Epernon.  Pope  Paul  V,  when  he  learns  the 
truth,  will  issue  no  edict  of  excommunication,  or  if 
he  does,  it  shall  be  against  Luynes,  who  first 
violated  the  convent  by  placing  therein  a  state 
prisoner. 

"  If  Luynes  was  justified  in  placing  me  a 
prisoner  in  a  convent,  Cardillac  was  equally 
justified  in  breaking  my  prison  and  getting  me 
out.  If  the  captain  of  a  troop  make  a  garrison 
of  a  church  in  time  of  war,  the  enemy  is  held 
blameless  who  fires  upon  that  church.  But,  apart 
from  all  this,  Pope  Paul  V  is  a  Borghese,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  wealthiest  family  in  Italy,  and  he  will 
launch  no  excommunication  against  a  brave  man 
who  is  partisan  for  his  countrywoman,  the  De 
Medicis.  My  father,  the  Duke  de  Montreuil,  is 
a  favourite  son  of  the  church,  and  it  is  not  possible 
that  excommunication  should  be  hurled  at  one  of 
his  followers." 

She  snapped  her  fingers  in  the  air. 

"  That  for  your  paltry  bishop  of  Tours  and  his 
ban!  I  come  of  a  family  that  deals  with  popes 
and  cardinals !  " 

"In  God's  name,  lady!"  gasped  Maloche, 
frightened  out  of  his  stolidity,  "who  are  you?  " 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

A    REVELATION 

THE  question  seemed  to  bring  the  girl  to 
her  senses,  and  the  colour  left  her  face 
as  she  stood  staring  across  the  table  at 
him ;  then  a  faint  smile  came  to  her  lips,  as  slowly 
she  turned  her   head    until    she    met  Cardillac's 
astonished  gaze. 

"  Ah,  Victor  de  Cardillac,"  and  now  she  spoke 
very  softly,  all  impetuousness  departed,  "you  see 
what  a  fate  threatens  you.  But,  good  comrade, 
you  have  been  warned  in  time.  'Twill  be  for  you 
now  to  accuse  me  of  false  pretences,  but  in  that 
you  will  be  wrong." 

She  turned  towards  the  old  farmer. 
'You  wish  to  know  who  I  am?     I  am  Made- 
moiselle Therese  Marie  Duchamps  de  Montreuil,  • 
only  daughter  of  the  Duke  de  Montreuil,  and  if' 
he  at  Loches  had  heard  the  words  you  dared  ad- 
dress me,  he  were  already  in  his  saddle  galloping 
hither.     Victor,"  she  turned  to  the  young  man 
again,  "  you  will  get  to  horse  at  once,  and  gallop 
through    the   night  by   way  of    Montrichard  to 
Loches,  carrying  with  you  a  letter  I  have  written 

259 


260  CARDILLAC 

to  my  father.  Ask  him  to  send  to  Toulouse  and 
acquaint  the  archbishop  with  the  ban  of  Tours/' 

"There  is  no  need  of  that,"  said  Cardillac. 
"The  archbishop  with  five  hundred  of  his  men  is 
at  Loches,  having  arrived  there  shortly  after  the 
Queen  was  imprisoned  at  Blois." 

"  Ah,  I  did  not  know.  They  kept  all  news  from 
me  at  the  convent.  Then  all  the  better,  and  no 
time  lost.  The  archbishop  must  send  a  messen- 
ger to  Rome,  to  acquaint  Pope  Paul  with  the 
facts.  Shall  you  make  your  headquarters  at 
Loches?" 

"  No,  I  must  be  nearer  at  hand.  I  shall  find 
some  method  of  acquainting  you  with  my  where- 
abouts." 

"  Tell  my  father  of  the  compact  you  made  with 
me  in  the  forest  of  the  Loire  at  midnight.  He 
will  give  you  the  thousand  pistoles." 

"  I  cannot  accept  them,  Marie — I  mean 
Therese." 

The  girl  gave  him  a  friendly  smile. 

"  Either  or  both  names  will  do,  but  the  money 
is  yours,  not  my  father's,  and  I  command  you  to 
accept  the  sum." 

"  Very  well,  Therese  Marie.  Your  commands 
are  my  law." 

"My  father  will  tell  you  more  of  the  object 
we  both  have  in  view,  so  that  you  can  act  with  'a 
knowledge  of  what  has  already  been  accomplished, 


A   REVELATION  261 

if  anything.     He  will  also  give  you  the  money  for 
carrying  out  your  plans." 

"  Ah,  Marie,  you  must  allow  me  to  use  my  own 
money,  as  my  heart  is  set  on  success." 

Again  Therese  smiled  at  him,  and  nodded  as 
though  pleased  that  he  made  such  a  proviso. 

"  And  now  Farmer  Maloche  must  write  me  a 
letter  that  I  can  give  to  his  daughter  in  Blois." 

"  I  cannot  write,"  gruffly  stated  the  farmer. 

"  Then  Monsieur  de  Cardillac  will  write  for 
you,  and  you  may  append  your  mark,  or  whatever 
symbol  you  use  when  your  name  is  attached  to  a 
business  document.  This  letter  I  shall  take  with 
me  at  once  to  Blois,  for  it  is  yet  early  in  the 
evening." 

'  You  do  not  propose  to  go  there  alone  and  un- 
attended?" protested  Cardillac. 

'  Yes,  and  I  ask  you  to  see  that  no  one  leaves 
this  room  until  I  have  had  time  to  reach  there,  and 
also  to  extract  from  this  man  an  oath  that  he 
dare  not  break,  and  if  he  attempts  to  break  it,  I 
can  assure  him  of  the  most  drastic  vengeance." 

Maloche  groaned  dismally. 

"Let  us  exact  the  oath  now,  and  I  will  then 
accompany  you." 

"  No,  no.  You  must  to  Loches  as  quickly  as 
you  can.  I  am  in  no  danger,  even  if  detected. 
Luynes  knows  better  than  to  harm  me.  If  he 
did,  'twould  all  be  to  the  good,  for  every  noble 


262  CARDILLAC 

partisan  he  possesses  would  desert  him,  and  he 
would  find  himself  with  an  army  of  leaderless 
men." 

Cardillac  took  down  the  crucifix  from  the  wall, 
and  placed  it  before  Maloche.  The  farmer  re- 
luctantly laid  his  great  brown  hand  upon  it,  and 
his  unwelcome  guest  administered  to  him  an  oath 
so  sweeping  in  its  everlasting  penalties  that  even 
the  bronzed  face  of  the  yeoman  blanched  to  a 
sickly  green  as  he  pressed  his  lips  against  the 
sacred  emblem. 

"  And  now,"  said  Mademoiselle  de  Montreuil, 
who  had  put  on  her  hood  for  the  journey,  "  re- 
member that  we  have  not  coerced  you,  but  have 
taken  the  only  plan  with  you  that  provides  safety 
for  yourself  and  your  family.  If  you  faithfully 
carry  out  your  avouchment  I  will  see  that  you  are 
made  rich.  Your  danger  arises  in  double  measure 
through  any  tampering  with  your  affirmation,  for 
you  will  receive  no  mercy  from  the  partisans  of  the 
King,  and  you  are  not  likely  to  escape  vengeance 
from  the  followers  of  the  Queen. 

"  The  fact  that  your  daughter  is  in  the  chateau 
now,  that  you,  for  a  week,  have  been  endeavouring 
to  place  me  in  the  service  of  the  Queen,  while  all 
the  time  you  were  harbouring  Cardillac,  makes 
it,  impossible  for  you  to  convince  the  most  credu- 
lous that  you  are  not  up  to  the  lips  in  conspiracy; 
therefore  be  sure  that  confession  will  only  bring 


A   REVELATION  263 

the  swifter  punishment  upon  you  from  both  sides. 
You  will  find  yourself  between  the  upper  and 
nether  millstones,  and  not  much  will  be  left  of 
you  when  they  cease  revolving." 

Cardillac  replaced  the  crucifix. 

"  Marie,"  he  said,  "  I  wish  a  word  with  you  in 
the  next  room.  Maloche,  see  to  it  that  no  one 
moves  until  I  return." 

Once  outside,  the  young  man  caught  her  by  the 
elbows,  pressing  them  closely  to  her.  Marie  made 
no  effective  resistance,  but  stood  there  smiling  at 
him. 

"  Dear  Marie,"  he  said,  "  I  wanted  to  tell  you 
that  I  shall  make  Montrichard  jny  home  until  I 
have  perfected  my  plans.  My  headquarters  there 
will  be  the  Hotel  of  the  Black  Head,  a  hostelry 
with  which  I  am  already  well  acquainted. 

"Montrichard  is  filled  with  my  friends,  and 
there  I  shall  be  quite  safe.  The  hillsides  of  Mont- 
richard are  honeycombed  with  secret  passages  and 
cave  dwellings,  with  every  tenant  of  which  I  am 
acquainted,  and  no  man  need  be  captured  who 
knows  this  labyrinth  as  I  do.  And  now,  dear  girl, 
farewell,  and  God  be  with  you.  There  is  still 
one  question  I  wish  to  ask  you.  Do  you  think 
I  should  be  justified  in  accepting  an  advance  of 
money  for  carrying  out  the  liberation  of  the 
Queen?" 

"Oh,  surely,   surely,"  cried  the  girl,  although 


264  CAKDILLAC 

her  face  showed  disappointment  that  he  had 
thought  better  of  his  first  proposal  to  use  his  own. 

"  I  am  glad  you  approve,  though  I  shall  not 
touch  a  stiver  of  the  money.  I  merely  wished 
your  consent  to  the  general  principle  that  a  man 
undertaking  a  task  which  he  feels  certain  of  ac- 
complishing may  be  justified  in  seeking  in  advance 
a  modest  instalment  of  the  reward  he  expects,  if 
this  instalment  will  encourage  him  to  face  the  dif- 
ficulties he  may  be  called  on  to  encounter;  so, 
Therese " 

Twice  he  put  his  lips  to  a  better  purpose  than 
that  of  speaking,  and  flattered  himself  he  had 
taken  her  completely  by  surprise.  She  frowned 
and  pushed  him  back  with  no  great  expenditure 
of  strength,  then  laughed  a  little. 

"  I  take  it,  monsieur,  that  there  is  nothing  per- 
sonal in  what  you  have  done.  You  merely  wished 
to  begin  your  campaign  by  settling  your  debt.  I 
shall  therefore  regard  this  as  the  return  of  what 
was  formerly  bestowed." 

"  In  that  case,  Therese,  I  have  the  instalment 
still  to  seek."  But  Therese  merrily  eluded  him, 
not  to  be  caught  a  second  time. 

"  No,  no,"  she  cried,  "  too  lavish  an  advance 
payment  makes  a  careless  workman,  and  on  this 
employment  I  must  enlist  all  your  faculties.  Now 
listen  to  me.  Do  you  know  the  chateau  at 
Blois?" 


A    REVELATION  265 

"  I  have  seen  it,"  replied  Cardillac. 
"  I  am  well  acquainted  with  every  part  of  it," 
continued  Therese,  "  for  I  lived  there  on  several 
occasions  while  the  Court  was  in  residence.  They 
tell  me  the  Queen's  present  apartments  are  on  the 
first  floor.  The  side  towards  the  courtyard  is  likely 
to  be  well  guarded.  The  north  facade,  however, 
is  very  precipitious,  and  being  without  an  exit,  Her 
Majesty's  jailors  are  there  probably  less  vigilant. 
At  the  northeast  corner  there  is  an  open  gallery. 
Every  afternoon  at  four  o'clock  the  Queen  is 
asleep,  and  from  four  till  half-past  I  shall  walk 
in  that  gallery.  You  will  doubtless  venture  into 
Blois  as  occasion  may  require." 

"  I  am  certain  to  do  that,"  replied  Cardillac.  - 
'  You  will  come  disguised,  but  I  think  I  shall 
recognise  you.  Still,  to  make  sure,  wear  in  some 
fashion  the  scarf  I  gave  you  to  act  as  a  sling 
for  your  arm,  and  which,  honest  man,  you  never 
returned  to  me." 

"  I  had  hoped,  Therese,  you  would  not  miss  it." 
"  I  did  not.  I  freely  present  it  to  you.  But  I 
must  not  chatter  any  longer.  Time  is  passing.  Dur- 
ing the  week  we  have  spent  here,  I  have  obtained 
several  unsuspicious  articles  that  may  be  of  use  to 
me  when  I  share  the  Queen's  imprisonment,  and 
among  them  is  an  ample  length  of  thin  cord.  If 
I  see  you  on  the  street  below,  and  we  are  un- 
observed, I  may  pass  down  to  you  a  letter,  if 


266  CAHDILLAC 

there  is  anything  to  communicate,  and  you  may 
tie  to  the  cord  any  missive  intended  for  me." 

"  I  shall  remember  that.  As  an  alternative 
means  of  communication  with  me,  it  might  be  well 
if  you  made  friends  with  Maloche's  daughter  in 
the  chateau;  then  a  message  given  to  her  could  be 
passed  on  to  her  father,  and  he  might  send  one 
of  his  sons  to  me  at  Montrichard." 

"You  think  we  can  trust  Maloche?" 

"Yes;  first  because  of  his  fear,  and  second  be- 
cause of  his  cupidity.  He  has  nothing  to  gain 
and  everything  to  lose  by  betraying  us.  Still,  it 
will  all  depend  on  the  estimate  you  form  of  his 
daughter,  but  in  any  case  I  should  not  use  this 
method  except  as  a  last  resort.  I  am  certain  the 
old  man  will  make  no  move  against  us,  but  the 
girl  may  have  some  confidant  in  the  chateau  to 
whom  she  tells  everything,  and  thus,  although 
staunch  herself,  she  might  prove  the  spark  to  the 
powder." 

'  You  are  very  woman-wise,  Monsieur  de  Car- 
dillac." 

"  No,  merely  human-wise.  For  instance,  I 
would  tell  you  everything  I  know,  and  yet  pro- 
claim myself  a  man.  However,  it  is  not  man  na- 
ture or  woman  nature,  but  human  nature,  as  I 
have  said,  and  the  fewer  confidants  we  make  the 
safer  we  are." 

"That  is  true.     As  it  is,  I  think  we  have  told 


A   REVELATION  267 

one  another  everything  we  know  already.     And 
now  I  must  away." 

She  eluded  his  efforts  to  detain  her,  opened  the 
door,  and  retreated  into  the  room  they  had  left. 
Every  member  of  the  family  sat  rigid  as  if  they 
had  not  moved  an  eyelid  since  the  two  departed. 
The  girl  took  her  place  upon  a  bench  by  the  table, 
and  poured  out  for  herself  a  glass  of  milk,  which 
she  sipped.  Cardillac  sat  down  opposite  her,  be- 
side the  grim  farmer,  to  whom  he  had  still  a  few 
words  to  say.  Before  he  could  open  his  mouth, 
however,  the  room  resounded  with  two  sharp 
knocks,  as  if  caused  by  a  sword  hilt,  and  next 
instant  the  door  was  flung  open  by  an  officer,  who 
entered,  followed  by  two  troopers.  Cardillac 
whisked  his  own  sword  out  of  sight  under  the 
table,  and  placed  the  point  of  it  close  against  the 
body  of  Farmer  Maloche. 


• 


CHAPTER  XXV 

INTO    LOCHES 

THE  first  thought  that  occurred  to  Car- 
dillac  was  that  Maloche .  had  betrayed 
him  before  he  left  Blois,  and  that  the 
military  party  had  been  sent  to  effect  the  arrest  of 
himself  and  his  comrade.  For  a  moment  Ma- 
loche's  life  hung  on  the  tip  of  the  sword,  and  per- 
haps the  old  man  himself  never  suspected  that  he 
sat  cheek  by  jowl  with  death.  The  officer  proved 
to  be  a  good-natured,  genial,  talkative  fellow,  who 
did  not  express  that  contempt  for  the  honest,  in- 
dustrious peasantry  which  all  soldiers  felt. 

"Farmer  Maloche?"  enquired  the  officer. 

"Yes." 

"  There  is  a  girl  here  whom  you  offered  in 
service  to  the  chateau?" 

"  Yes." 

"Is  she  an  ordinary  country  wench,  or  lady- 
like and  presentable?" 

"There  she  sits,"  said  Maloche. 

The  officer  turned  towards  her. 

"  Oh,  you'll  do !  "  he  cried.  "  Have  you  been 
used  to  waiting  on  ladies,  mademoiselle?" 

"Yes,  monsieur,"  answered  Marie. 

268 


INTO    LOCHES  269 

"Ah,  that's  great  good  luck.  There's  been 
another  frustrated  plot  to  liberate  the  Queen,  and 
two  of  her  maids  of  honour  are  sleeping  in  stone 
cells  to-night;  therefore,  mademoiselle,  you  will 
take  your  place  in  the  direct  service  of  Marie  de 
Medicis,  for  we'll  accept  no  more  of  those  rips 
down  from  Paris.  We've  had  enough  of  such 
conspiring  minxes.  I'd  chop  off  the  heads  of  the 
whole  coterie  if  I  had  my  way.  Give  me  an  hon- 
est, good-looking  country  girl  like  you,  mademoi- 
selle. And  now,  Farmer  Maloche,  a  few  ques- 
tions. The  commandant  told  me  to  give  warning 
that  you  will  be  held  to  strict  account  if  your 
words  are  not  made  good.  What's  the  name  of 
this  girl?" 

"  My  name  is  Marie  Duchamps,"  quickly  in- 
terpolated the  person  referred  to. 

"  Thanks,  mademoiselle,  thanks.  And  now, 
Farmer  Maloche,  are  you  personally  acquainted 
with  this  damsel  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

;'You  guarantee  her  honesty,  gaod  faith,  and 
all  that?" 

"Yes." 

"She  is  thoroughly  loyal?" 

"Yes." 

"  Do  you  think  she  can  be  bribed  or  cajoled  into 
doing  wrong?" 

"  No." 


270  CARDILLAC 

"  You  pledge  your  personal  surety,  forfeiting 
life  and  goods  if  she  mixes  with  any  of  these 
treasonable  conspiracies?" 

This  time  Maloche  hesitated  for  a  moment,  and 
the  sword  point  penetrated  his  clothes  and  touched 
the  bare  skin. 

"  Yes,"  hd  said. 

11  That's  very  satisfactory,  and  I  shall  so  report 
to  the  commandant.  And  now,  mademoiselle,  can 
you  ride  a  horse?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  monsieur." 

"  Are  you  ready  to  go  with  us  at  once,  or  must 
you  make  some  preparations?" 

"  I  am  ready  now,  monsieur,"  said  the  girl, 
rising. 

"  Good.  I  like  you,  and  hope  to  see  more 
of  you  at  Blois,  although  I  suppose  you  will  not 
be  allowed  to  leave  the  Queen's  apartments." 

"  So  I  understand,  monsieur." 

"Anything  you  want,  mademoiselle,  can  be  got 
at  Blois,  or  will  be  sent  for  to  Paris.  The  pay  is 
good,  and  the  duties  light.  I  rather  think  you'll 
like  the  situation,  Marie." 

"  I  am  sure  I  shall,  monsieur." 

"Very  well;  this  is  all  quite  as  it  should  be. 
And  now,  mademoiselle,  latest  maid  of  honour, 
may  I  present  to  myself  the  gratification  of  escort- 
ing you  to  your  horse?  " 

"  The  pleasure  is  mine,  monsieur,"  said  Therese, 


INTO    LOCHES  271 

extending  the  tips  of  her  dainty  fingers  to  the  out- 
stretched hand  of  the  bowing  lieutenant.  And 
thus,  as  if  about  to  engage  in  a  minuet,  the  two 
disappeared  through  the  doorway,  followed  by  the 
sword-clanking,  spur-jangling  troopers,  Therese 
throwing^  over  her  shoulder  a  sparkling  smile  at 
Cardillac,  and  a  "  Good-night,  all "  to  the  assem- 
blage. 

In  the  silence  that  followed  they  heard  the  clat- 
ter of  horses'  hoofs,  and  Cardillac  wondered  why 
their  approach  had  not  been  noticed  by  any  of 
the  company. 

"  Maloche,"  said  Cardillac,  "  even  if  you  had 
not  given  me  your  oath,  you  understand,  I  hope, 
that  there  is  only  one  course  now  possible  for  you. 
I  need  not  say  that  I  am  very  sorry  to  have  been 
the  cause  of  involving  you  in  such  a  tangle,  but 
that  is  a  risk  all  must  run  who  live  in  these  trou- 
blous times.  Many  innocent  people  have  been  com- 
pelled to  do  something  similar  to  what  you  are 
forced  to  do,  but  they  have  been  without  hope  of 
reward.  Now  I  give  you  my  word  that  I  shall 
be  careful  not  to  betray  you  by  speech  or  action. 
I  am  determined  to  succeed,  and  will  succeed,  and 
when  I  do,  you  will  be  largely  the  gainer." 

"There  has  been  enough  talk,"  growled  the 
old  farmer.  "  I  shall  do  what  I  said  I  would 
do." 

"Ah,  which  of  the  two  things  you  said  you 


272  CARDILLAC 

would  do  ?  Give  information  to  the  King,  or  keep 
silence?  " 

"  I  shall  hold  by  my  oath." 

"  Very  good.  In  that  course  you  will  find  safety 
and  profit."  Cardillac  took  out  his  wallet,  and 
poured  a  little  mountain  of  gold  upon  the  supper- 
table. 

u  Here  is  an  earnest  of  more  to  come.  I  shall 
keep  one  pistole  for  emergencies  to-night,  and 
leave  the  rest  with  you.  It  is  all  I  possess  at  the 
moment,  but  good  luck  standing  my  friend,  I  shall 
have  a  thousand  more  of  these  yellow  tempters 
to-morrow." 

The  old  man's  sullen  eyes  gleamed  greedily  as 
he  gloated  on  the  little  pile  of  wealth.  Here  at 
least  was  an  argument  he  could  understand.  King 
or  Queen  were  as  nothing  to  him  so  long  as  he 
kept  his  clutch  upon  sufficient  gold. 

"  It  is  really  a  very  simple  matter,  Maloche," 
continued  Cardillac  with  careless  good  humour, 
as  he  pushed  the  heap  towards  its  new  owner.  "  If 
the  King  wins,  you  will  nevertheless  be  rich  enough 
to  slip  out  of  this  belt  of  danger,  and  return  to 
Gascony,  where  you  may  live  unmolested.  If 
the  Queen  wins,  you  will  receive  abundance  of 
wealth,  and  she  will  confirm  you  in  possession  of 
this  farm.  So  long  as  you  keep  a  close  mouth, 
it  matters  not  to  you  what  happens,  and  thus  I 
bid  you  good-night." 


INTO    LOCHES  273 

Cardillac,  carrying  his  sword,  departed  to  his 
own  room,  where  he  doffed  his  peasant  garb  and 
donned  the  costume  of  the  courtier.  Then  to  the 
stable,  where,  quickly  accoutring  his  horse,  he 
sprang  astride,  and  turned  the  animal's  head 
towards  the  west,  taking  the  thoroughfare  through 
Russy  Forest  that  led  to  Montrichard,  a  road  that 
was  little  more  than  a  cart  track  and  a  woodman's 
way  for  the  hauling  of  logs,  but  nevertheless  a 
great  improvement  upon  the  path  through  the 
wilderness  he  had  formerly  traversed. 

The  moon  was  a  week  past  the  full,  and  there- 
fore contributed  little  to  the  enlightenment  of 
Cardillac's  journey.  At  last  he  came  to  the  end 
of  the  forest,  and  the  road  lay  among  cultivated 
fields  and  pastures  where  cattle  lay  at  rest.  In 
the  belated  waning  moonlight,  he  saw  standing 
high  against  the  western  sky  the  splendid  square 
donjon-tower  of  the  castle,  constructed  six  hun- 
dred years  before  by  that  master-builder  of  fort- 
resses, Foulques  Nerra,  Count  of  Anjou.  A  hun- 
dred years  later  it  was  captured  by  the  English 
King,  Richard  Coeur  de  Lion;  hence,  the  hill  on 
which  it  stands,  united  with  the  name  of  the  Eng- 
lish King,  gave  title  to  the  village  and  castle  which 
it  bears  to  this  day. 

Cardillac  skirted  the  foot  of  the  castle  hill,  and 
then,  just  before  reaching  the  river  Cher,  turned 
to  his  left  down  the  main  street.  The  contrast 


274  CARDILLAC 

between  Montrichard  and  any  of  the  northern 
towns  was  very  striking.  Beaugency  and  the  rest 
swarmed  with  soldiers  night  and  day;  the  streets 
paraded  by  sentinels ;  the  air  vocal  with  challenges 
and  replies.  Here  all  was  still  as  Pompeii,  not  a 
light  visible,  no  human  being  in  sight,  the  town 
sound  in  a  peaceful  sleep. 

He  passed,  on  his  right  hand,  that  ancient  hos- 
telry, the  Hotel  de  la  Tete  Noire,  to  which  he 
would  return  and  stop,  and  well  he  knew  its 
comfortable  accommodation.  He  felt  inclined  to 
rouse  the  silent  town  with  a  shout,  but  repressed 
his  boyish  exultation,  and  rode  on  until  he  came  to 
the  church  of  Notre  Dame  de  Nanteuil,  to  which 
Louis  XI  was  accustomed  to  make  pilgrimages. 
He  rather  expected  to  find  this  structure  guarded, 
but  no  one  disputed  his  crossing. 

Once  over  the  river,  he  rode  a  short  distance  up 
its  left  bank,  until  he  came  to  the  favourite  swim- 
ming place  of  his  youth.  Unbridling  his  horse, 
he  allowed  the  patient  animal  to  feed  on  the  lush 
grass  by  the  river  bank,  and  throwing  off  his 
clothes,  he  plunged  shoulder  first  into  the  familiar 
crystal  flood,  and  swam  from  Touraine  to  Blaisois 
and  back,  for  the  clear  Cher  forms  the  boundary 
between  the  two  districts.  Attiring  himself  once 
more,  and  feeling  as  if  he  had  slipped  off  half  a 
dozen  years  with  his  clothes,  he  made  a  supper  of 
black  bread  and  red  wine.  More  than  half  of  his 


INTO    LOCHES  275 

journey  had  been  accomplished,  and  the  bells  in 
the  fortress  were  now  ringing  midnight  across  the 
still  waters  of  the  river.  He  did  not  wish  to 
reach  Loches  before  daybreak,  and  so  stretched 
himself  at  full  length  in  the  tall  grass,  to  sleep 
for  a  couple  of  hours.  Young  as  he  was,  he  al- 
ready possessed  Henri  IV's  knack  of  falling  asleep 
at  any  moment  he  chose,  and  of  arousing  himself 
at  any  time  he  had  set. 

In  two  hours  and  a  half  he  arose  refreshed,  and 
proceeded  on  his  journey.  Dawn  lightened  the 
forest  and  set  the  birds  singing  just  before  he  ar- 
rived at  Le  Liege,  and  the  sun  appeared  as  he 
forded  the  river  Indrois.  Emerging  from  the 
forest  into  the  lowlands  near  Beaulieu,  there  burst 
upon  him,  reddened  by  the  rising  sun,  the  full 
splendour  of  the  strongest  fortress  in  France,  the 
massive,  conglomerate  structure  built  by  half  a 
dozen  kings;  supreme  and  impregnable;  the  royal 
chateau  of  Loches. 

The  young  man  drew  in  his  horse,  and  sat  there, 
hand  on  hip,  regarding  this  aggregation  of  build- 
ings with  a  sigh  of  content.  The  little  picturesque 
town  by  the  river-side  huddled  contentedly  at  the 
feet  of  this  lordly  castle,  secure  in  its  protection. 
Here,  less  than  a  century  before,  Scotland's  most 
picturesque  King,  James  V,  was  married  to  the 
daughter  of  Francis  I,  and  now  the  doom  of 
James's  ill-fated  daughter,  Mary  of  Scotland,  was 


276  CARDILLAC 

in  the  minds  of  those  who  ruled  Loches;  men 
who  were  determined  that  another  foreign  Mary, 
whom  they  regarded  as  monarch  of  France, 
should  not  meet  a  similar  catastrophe  at  the  hands 
of  her  enemies. 

Their  very  determination  was  bringing  the 
tragedy  within  practical  nearness,  through  their 
constantly  frustrated  attempts  to  liberate  Marie 
de  Medicis ;  and  Cardillac,  sobered  by  this  thought, 
resolved  to  carry  out  his  already  half-formed  pro- 
ject with  a  caution  that  seemed  absent  in  more 
experienced  heads  than  his  own. 

Crossing  the  Indre  from  Beaulieu  to  Loches, 
he  found  the  town  aswarm  with  armed  men,  the 
air  musical  with  bugle  calls  from  the  heights  on 
which  the  castle  stood,  the  cobble-stoned  streets 
asound  with  the  tramp  of  marching  troops.  Into 
this  fanfare  the  young  man  on  the  horse  came 
modestly  enough,  and  was  challenged  at  the  end 
of  the  bridge. 

"Who  are  you?  Whence  do  you  come,  and 
why?" 

"  My  name  is  Cardillac.  I  come  from  Beau- 
gency.  I  bear  a  message  to  the  Duke  de  Mont- 
reuil." 

And  now,  for  the  first  time  in  his  life,  our  young 
friend,  who  had  hitherto  met  little  but  rebuffs  and 
personal  danger,  was  to  drink  a  goblet  of  that 
intoxicating  wine,  popularity,  a  draught  that  had 


INTO    LOCHES  277 

never  touched  his  lips  before.  An  officer  stepped 
forward. 

"You  are  surely  not  the  man  for  whom  all 
France  is  being  searched ;  he  who  rescued  the  Duke 
de  Montreuil's  daughter  from  the  convent  at 
Beaugency? " 

"Yes,"  said  Cardillac. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

THE    ARCH-PLOTTER    OF    THE    KINGDOM 

AOZEN  listeners  heard  the  question  and 
reply;  and  the  news  spread  like  the  in- 
coming tide  on  the  shallow  sands  of  the 
Normandy  coast.  "Cardillac!  Cardillac!  "  passed 
from  lip  to  lip,  and  men  and  women  came  run- 
ning from  every  direction  to  catch  a  glimpse  of 
this  youth  whom  the  King  wanted,  and  was  will- 
ing to  pay  his  own  ransom  to  secure. 

"  Monsieur  de  Cardillac,  I  shall  consider  it  a 
great  honour  to  be  permitted  to  escort  you  to  the 
gates  of  the  palace,"  said  the  officer. 

As  Cardillac  rode  up  the  steep  and  winding 
street,  the  crowd  on  either  side  of  the  way  in- 
creased as  if  the  bugles  were  calling  each  individ- 
ual from  every  corner  of  the  town,  and  cheer  after 
cheer  arose  as  the  tired  horse  made  its  ascent. 
Cardillac  blushed  like  a  school-girl,  and,  with  the 
natural  politeness  and  grace  of  a  Gascon,  he  waved 
salutation  to  the  enthusiastic  multitude,  but  said 
to  the  officer,  when  the  gates  were  closed  upon 
him  and  he  had  dismounted  from  his  horse: 

"  By  our  Lady  of  Loches,  I'd  rather  meet  a 

278 


ARCH-PLOTTER    OF    THE    KINGDOM     279 

cavalry  attack  of  as  many  enemies  than  ride  the 
same  distance  among  such  jubilant  friends." 

The  officer  laughed,  gave  the  horse  in  charge 
of  a  stableman,  and  sent  word  to  the  Duke  de 
Montreuil  that  Cardillac  awaited  his  commands. 

It  happened  that  the  duke  had  not  yet  arisen 
from  his  bed.  He  sent,  however,  a  cordial  wel- 
come to  the  young  man,  requested  him  to  deliver 
to  the  messenger  any  letter  he  might  carry,  and 
invited  him  to  breakfast  half  an  hour  later. 

When  at  last  Cardillac  was  summoned  to  the 
breakfast-room,  he  found  an  apartment  small  in 
size,  but  delightful  in  situation,  giving  a  view  ovef 
the  roof-tops  of  the  town,  up  and  down  the  valley 
of  the  Indre,  and  away  across  the  forest  to  the 
east.  A  table  had  been  set  for  two,  as  was  the 
case  at  that  memorable  supper  in  the  duke's  pal- 
ace at  Paris.  When  the  duke  entered,  he  grasped 
Cardillac  warmly  by  the  hand. 

"  My  brave  lad,"  he  said,  "  I  can  never  repay 
my  indebtedness  to  you." 

"Don't  be  too  sure  of  that,"  laughed  the  am- 
bitious youth,  which  remark  passed  unnoticed,  for 
the  nobleman's  mind  was  concentrated  on  one  sub- 
ject alone. 

"  My  daughter,  then,  has  not  come  with  you?  " 

"  No ;  she  went  last  night  to  the  chateau  at 
Blois,  and  this  morning  is  doubtless  waiting  upon 
her  Majesty." 


280  CARDILLAC 

"  Ah  !  "  said  the  duke,  with  contracted  brow.  "  I 
wish  she  were  here  in  Loches;  but  Therese  is 
very  determined,  very  determined,  and  loyal  to 
the  core.  Sit  down,  my  boy;  I  am  sure  you  are 
hungry.  Tefl  me  all  about  it." 

For  some  reason  which  is  not  explained  in  any 
of  the  chronicles  of  the  time,  Cardillac  omitted 
several  particulars  of  his  night's  excursion,  and 
ignored  one  or  two  events  that  followed  after. 
He  said  nothing  of  his  faint  and  loss  of  blood; 
nothing  of  the  repast  on  the  south  side  of  the 
Loire;  nothing  of  the  good-night  at  the  manor 
farm  near  Blois:  but  he  alluded  to  his  compact 
with  mademoiselle  for  the  release  of  the  Queen, 
saying  nothing,  however,  of  any  reward  he  ex- 
pected. The  duke's  brow  clouded  when  he  came 
to  this  question  of  her  Majesty's  projected  escape. 

"Mademoiselle  told  me,  my  lord,  that  I  was 
to  consult  with  the  authorities  in  this  castle  regard- 
ing what  had  already  been  done,  and  counselled 
me  to  form  my  own  plans  accordingly." 

For  a  time  the  duke  did  not  reply,  but  his  coun- 
tenance showed  that  some  trouble  agitated  his 
mind. 

"  I  am  in  deep  apprehension  regarding  that 
matter,"  he  said  at  last.  "  Scheme  after  scheme 
has  been  formed,  without  the  necessary  fore- 
thought, it  seems  to  me,  and  one  after  another 
has  ended  disastrously.  The  Duke  d'Epernon, 


ARCH-PLOTTER    OF    THE    KINGDOM     281 

commander  of  the  Queen's  forces,  is  an  admirable 
general  rightly  advised,  but  I  fear  his  impetuous 
son,  the  archbishop  of  Toulouse,  on  whom  the 
sanctity  of  his  high  and  sacred  office  sits  but 
lightly,  will  yet  carry  us  all  to  destruction  with  his 
headstrong  zeal.  There  is  no  doubt  that  the 
authorities  at  Tours  are  fully  on  the  alert;  our 
garrison  here  is  permeated  with  their  spies,  and 
they  seem  to  learn  of  what  is  suggested  before  the 
plan  is  carried  out.  As  a  result,  some  of  our  men 
have  been  captured  and  executed. 

"  At  the  present  moment  my  anxiety  is  intense, 
for  the  castle  is  in  my  charge.  The  Duke  d'Eper- 
non  and  his  son,  the  archbishop  of  Toulouse,  have 
been  absent  for  three  days,  and  during  that  time 
I  have  received  no  word  from  them.  The  duke, 
proud  of  his  reputation  as  the  best  swordsman 
in  France,  cannot  be  made  to  see  that  such  a  thing 
as  personal  danger  exists.  He,  therefore,  takes 
risks  which  no  man,  commander  of  so  important 
a  garrison  as  ours,  should  accept,  and  some  day 
he  will  be  overpowered  and  captured.  With  the 
father  so  venturesome,  you  may  understand  that 
there  is  little  advantage  in  speaking  warningly 
to  the  son. 

"They  are  both  under  the  influence  of  Rucel- 
lai,  abbe  of  Ligny,  who  is  an  Italian,  and  a  born 
concocter  of  futile  conspiracies.  Rucellai  is  an 
adherent  and  a  favourite  of  his  countrywoman, 


CARDILLAC 

the  Queen  Mother,  and  knowing  him  therefore  to 
possess  Her  Majesty's  confidence,  it  is  but  natural 
that  the  commander  of  her  forces  should  place 
great  confidence  in  the  abbe. 

"  The  plots  of  Rucellai  are  as  intricate  and 
subtle  as  an  Italian's  mind,  and  they  have  hitherto 
always  ended  in  catastrophe.  On  this  occasion 
the  duke  and  the  archbishop  have  gone  with  Rucel- 
lai, personally  to  superintend  its  execution,  but  I 
fear  they  may  attend  an  execution  of  their  own. 
I  am  awaiting  with  great  anxiety  their  return,  or 
some  news  of  their  adventure. 

"  If  we  continue  this  inane  pestering  of  the 
Queen's  jailors,  the  inevitable  result  will  be  that 
Luynes  will  order  her  executed  in  the  courtyard, 
or  perhaps  assassinated  in  her  apartments,  which 
are  under  those  where  the  Duke  de  Guise  met  his 
fate.  She  is  lodged  in  a  sinister  building,  Car- 
dillac,  and  I  fear  that  Italian  subtilty  will  be  met 
by  French  brutality." 

"  Pertaining  to  this  latest  plot,  my  lord,  I  am  a 
messenger  of  evil  omen.  The  garrulous  lieu- 
tenant who  was  to  escort  your  daughter  to  Blois 
told  us  that  a  conspiracy  had  been  unmasked,  and 
that  two  of  the  Queen's  ladies-in-waiting  had  been 
arrested  and  imprisoned.  To  take  their  place 
your  daughter  was  hurriedly  commanded  into 
attendance." 


ARCH-PLOTTER    OF    THE    KINGDOM     283 

"You  think,"  said  the  duke  anxiously,  "that 
they  had  no  suspicion  of  her  quality?  " 

"None  in  the  least,  and  I  further  believe," 
cried  the  young  man  with  increased  enthusiasm, 
"  that  her  arrival  in  the  Queen's  entourage  will 
introduce  some  common  sense  into  that  assem- 
blage." 

The  duke's  brow  cleared  and  his  eyes  bright- 
ened. 

"  Yes.  Therese,  from  the  time  she  was  a  little 
girl,  ruled  all  who  came  near  her,  and  I  myself 
have  often  been  astonished  at  the  sedate  wisdom 
of  that  sprightly  creature.  She  made  no  com- 
plaint, I  suppose,  of  her  journey's  hardness 
through  the  forest?" 

"Oh,  not  the  least;  she  enjoyed  every  hour 
of  it,  especially  after  our  supper  at  midnight,  for 
she  had  been  compelled  to  leave  the  convent  be- 
fore their  late  hour  for  dinner,  and  from  twelve 
noon  to  twelve  night  is  rather  a  long  fast.  Luck- 
ily, I  had  filled  my  saddle-bags  with  an  excellent 
repast  furnished  by  the  inn-keeper  at  Beaugency, 
and  so  our  journey  was  carried  through  with  little 
hardship  beyond  what  the  forest  had  to  offer. 
Nevertheless,  were  it  not  for  mademoiselle's  re- 
source and  quick  wit,  I  could  not  have  brought 
our  trip  to  a  successful  conclusion." 

"It  cheers  my  old  heart  to  hear  you  speak  so 


284  CAKDILLAC 

eulogistically  of  my  dear  child,  and  I  recognise 
that  your  generosity  is  equal  to  your  bravery.  Yet 
I  wish  Therese  had  come  to  me,  for  if  anything 
happens  to  the  Duke  d'Epernon,  I  shall  be  com- 
mander of  the  Queen's  forces,  despite  the  fact  that 
I  am  a  statesman  rather  than  a  warrior.  If,  there- 
fore, Luynes  discovers  that  my  daughter  is  held 
prisoner  with  the  Queen,  he  has  me  at  a  double 
disadvantage,  with  both  my  daughter  and  my 
royal  mistress  in  his  power." 

"  We  must  the  sooner  release  them,  my  lord." 
"True,  true,  but  that  is  easier  said  than  done, 
and  if  this  meddlesome  Italian  continues  to  spin 
out  his  fantastic  designs,  and  is  backed  by  the 
commander  of  the  forces,  the  inevitable  result 
will  be  a  tragedy.  Although  I  realise  quite  as 
fully  as  does  the  Duke  d'Epernon  the  immediate 
necessity  for  releasing  the  Queen,  I  also  see  the 
danger  of  stratagems  that  are  continually  brought 
to  nought,  which  exasperate  our  enemies  without 
effecting  anything  for  our  friends. 

"  When  some  days  ago  news  arrived  that  you 
had  succeeded  in  spiriting  away  my  daughter  from 
the  convent,  and  that  Luynes,  with  the  resources 
of  France  at  his  disposal,  had  not  captured  you, 
I  proposed  to  Epernon  that  we  should  wait 
until  you  arrived  at  Loches,  for  I  supposed  that 
sooner  or  later  you  would  report  to  me.  I  sug- 
gested that  then,  as  you  were  young,  and  had 


ARCH-PLOTTER    OF    THE    KINGDOM     285 

proven  yourself  competent  to  cope  with  forces  al- 
most overwhelming,  we  should  transfer  to  you  the 
task  of  releasing  the  Queen.  Epernon  seemed 
favourable  at  first,  but  Rucellai  would  not  hear 
of  it,  and  speedily  resumed  his  influence  over  the 
duke's  mind,  an  influence  which  I  hoped  had  been 
shaken  by  the  Italian's  numerous  failures.  So  you 
see  the  same  thought  occurred  to  both  my  daugh- 
ter's mind  and  my  own.  If  I  understand  rightly, 
it  is  your  intention  to  make  Montrichard  your 
base  of  operations?" 

"  Yes,  my  lord.  Every  man  in  Montrichard 
is  my  friend,  and  I  have  established  two  lines  of 
communication  with  Blois,  neither  perfect,  of 
course,  and  neither  to  be  used  except  in  cases  of 
emergency.  Then  I  am  perfectly  acquainted  with 
Montrichard  and  the  country  round  about,  and  I 
consider  it  much  better  as  headquarters  than  a  spot 
like  Loches  for  whatever  plan  I  may  adopt,  since 
Loches,  safe  as  it  may  be,  is  alive,  as  you  admit, 
with  spies." 

"  I  think,  monsieur,  you  are  quite  in  the  right, 
and  if  I  may  venture  a  suggestion  it  is  this:  You 
have  entered  the  castle  amidst  great  acclaim.  I 
thought,  until  I  had  your  message,  the  clamour 
meant  the  return  of  Epernon  and  the  archbishop. 
The  news  that  you  are  here  is  doubtless  already 
travelling  to  Blois,  and  it  may  be  in  Paris  by  to- 
morrow. It  will  seem  perfectly  natural  that 


286  CARDILLAC 

you  should  seek  refuge  in  Loches,  and  they  are 
likely  to  take  it  for  granted  that  you  will  not  soon 
quit  so  secure  a  sanctuary.  As  I  am  within  these 
walls,  it  will  also  appear  probable  that  by  some 
means  or  other  you  have  placed  my  daughter  un- 
der my  protection,  and  your  public  entry  alone 
will  seem  to  these  crafty  persons  merely  a  ruse  to 
delude  them  into  the  belief  that  she  is  elsewhere. 
An  immediate  consequence  of  this  will  be  that  the 
search  for  you  will  stop. 

"  I  therefore  recommend  that  you  secretly  leave 
Loches  to-night,  and  return  to  Montrichard.  I 
shall  have  it  given  forth  that  I  have  appointed  you 
my  secretary,  and  as  I  work  in  my  own  suite  of 
apartments  here,  and  appear  seldom  in  public,  this 
statement  will  doubtless  be  credited,  and  my  ap- 
pointment taken  as  simple  gratitude  for  what 
you  have  done.  But  your  great  security  is  that 
no  one  will  believe  you  foolhardy  enough  to  leave 
Loches  while  the  hue  and  cry  for  you  is  abroad 
in  the  land.  Now  I  ask  the  privilege  of  paying 
you  two  thousand  pistoles  instead  of  the  one  I 
suggested  at  first." 

'You  are  very  generous,  my  lord  duke,  but  I 
cannot  accept  more  than  the  exact  amount  stipu- 
lated, and,  indeed,  I  feel  that  mademoiselle,  rather 
than  myself,  is  deserving  of  the  money.  Your 
suggestion  regarding  the  method  of  my  return 
to  Montrichard  is  not  only  an  excellent  one  in 


ARCH-PLOTTER    OF    THE    KINGDOM     287 

itself,  but  it  relieves  me  from  the  embarrassment 
of  appearing  again  before  this  effervescent  mob 
which  appears  to  make  up  the  population  of 
Loches." 

4  Very  good,  monsieur,  and  I  beg  to  say  that 
the  more  I  see  of  you,  the  more  pleased  I  am  with 
your  capacity.  I  wish  we  had  others  like  you  in 
high  places  within  this  fortress.  If  agreeable  to 
you,  I  propose  two  o'clock  to-morrow  morning 
as  the  hour  of  your  departure;  the  same  hour  that 
we  left  Paris  together.  " 

"At  two  o'clock  I  shall  be  ready,  my  lord 
duke."  ' 


CHAPTER   XXVII 
INTO  THE   ENEMY'S   CITADEL 

THREE  months  later  Cardillac  sat  in  the 
hospitable  dining-room  of  the  Tete  Noire 
at  Montrichard,  the  victim  of  black  de- 
spair. All  his  efforts  had  been  nullified  by  Italian 
finesse.  The  ever-fertile  Rucellai  had  evolved 
brouillon  after  brouillon,  each  one  proving  more 
unworkable  than  those  that  had  gone  before.  At 
last  Cardillac  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
good  abbe  of  Ligny  was  either  in  the  pay  of 
Luynes,  or  was  feathering  his  own  nest  by  the 
money  the  infatuated  Duke  d'Epernon  bestowed 
upon  him  as  capital  for  carrying  out  his  machina- 
tions. 

Cardillac  communicated  his  suspicions  to  the 
Duke  de  Montreuil,  who  made  careful  investiga- 
tions, but  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  Floren- 
tine was  honest  enough,  and  loyal  enough,  but 
merely  an  enthusiastic  conspirator. 

The  result  of  all  this  folly  was  that  the  gar- 
rison at  Blois  had  been  increased  by  over  five 
thousand  men.  It  was  almost  impossible  for  a 
rat  to  get  through  the  cordon  that  surrounded  the 

988 


INTO    THE    ENEMY'S    CITADEL        289 

Queen  in  prison.  Several  times  during  those  three 
months,  Cardillac  had  made  his  way  into  Blois, 
but  each  time  with  increased  danger  to  his  life. 

His  chief  reason  for  performing  these  danger- 
ous journeys  was  the  delight  of  seeing  Mademoi- 
selle de  Montreuil  on  her  balcony;  to  play  Romeo 
and  Juliet  in  dumb  show.  On  each  occasion,  by 
means  of  the  twine,  he  had  received  down  and  sent 
up  a  written  message.  The  last  document  that  went 
up  to  the  balcony  he  considered  most  important, 
for  it  requested  mademoiselle  to  obtain  from  the 
Queen,  under  her  sign  manual,  an  order  for  Rucel- 
lai  to  cease  his  plots  on  her  behalf,  and  a  command 
to  the  Duke  d'Epernon  to  furnish  no  more  aid  to 
the  Italian  conspirator.  Cardillac  added  as  a 
postscript  that  if  Therese  could  persuade  her 
Majesty  to  order  Epernon  to  imprison  the  active 
abbe  this  would  be  so  much  to  the  good.  Cardillac 
was  quite  certain  Therese  would  accomplish  this 
necessary  task,  but  now,  to  his  dismay,  he  found 
himself  completely  fenced  out  of  Blois. 

He  had  never  used  Maloche  as  a  means  of  com- 
munication with  the  chateau;  neither  had  made- 
moiselle; but  he  had  visited  the  farmer  once  a 
month,  and  paid  down  a  handsome  instalment 
in  gold.  The  peasant  had  kept  his  word,  and  re- 
spected the  oath  he  had  taken,  but  Cardillac  never 
recovered  his  belief  in  the  farmer's  good  faith. 


290  CARDILLAC 

Now,  however,  grown  reckless  through  despond- 
ency, he  resolved  to  adventure  himself  under  the 
mercies  of  Maloche,  and  so,  one  dark  autumn 
night,  he  rode  northward  to  the  farm. 

"  Maloche,  "  he  said,  "  I  am  going  to  double 
your  stipend,  and  here  is  your  increased  portion." 

The  farmer  grunted,  but  gave  no  thanks  for 
this  new  generosity. 

"They  are  tightening  things  up  more  and  more 
in  Blois,  "  said  Maloche,  u  and  soon  I  expect  they 
will  no  longer  allow  me  to  cart  my  vegetables  into 
that  town.  It  is  a  dangerous  business,  Monsieur 
de  Cardillac,  that  you  have  got  me  into,  and  what 
profit  is  gold  if  a  man  loses  his  head?'" 

"  Oh,  you  won't  lose  your  head,"  returned  the 
young  man  carelessly,  "  so  don't  be  disheartened. 
They'll  merely  hang  you.  No  such  aristocratic 
exit  as  decapitation  awaits  you,  so  listen  to  me. 
You  will  go  in  to-morrow,  and  see  your  daughter 
privately.  Tell  her — what  is  quite  true — that  I 
am  a  lover  of  Marie  Duchamps.  Ask  her  to  ar- 
range that  I  may  have  a  word  or  two  in  secret 
with  this  girl.  I  have  enjoyed  no  speech  with 
her  for  three  months,  and  I  weary  for  the  sight 
of  her." 

"  How  do  you  propose  to  enter  Blois,  Monsieur 
de  Cardillac?" 

"I  will  enter  it  in  your  cart,  dressed  as  one 
of  your  sons." 


INTO    THE   ENEMY'S    CITADEL        291 

"  Humph!  "  grunted  the  farmer,  in  no  way  de- 
lighted at  this  new  peril  he  was  called  to  face, 
through  the  unreasonableness  of  amourous  youth. 

The  farmer  brought  back  from  Blois  the  intelli- 
gence that  if  Cardillac  were  patient  enough  to 
wait  three  days,  what  he  wished  might  possibly 
be  accomplished.  On  the  third  day  his  daughter's 
young  man  would  be  on  guard  at  the  outer  door 
of  the  Queen's  corridor,  and  although  none  of  the 
Queen's  attendants  were  permitted  to  enter  this 
corridor,  the  guard  for  the  moment  would  turn 
his  back,  and  Cardillac  might  enjoy  the  felicita- 
tion of  embracing  Marie  Duchamps  if  he  lingered 
not  too  long  about  it. 

The  three  days  passed  with  exasperating  slow- 
ness, but  at  last  this  yokel,  who  was  apparently  a 
farmer's  son,  entered  the  chateau  under  the  guid- 
ance of  Phyllis  Maloche.  He  was  taken  surrep- 
titiously along  passage  and  corridor,  and  com- 
manded to  stand  in  an  embrasure  some  ten  feet 
away  from  the  perturbed  guard,  who,  being  a 
lover  himself,  may  be  supposed  to  have  had  com- 
passion upon  others  in  the  same  condition. 

The  farmer's  daughter  whispered  a  few  words 
to  the  sentinel,  then  knocked  at  the  door  of  the 
Queen's  apartments,  opened  it,  and  disappeared, 
while  the  guard,  ignoring  Cardillac's  presence, 
paced  moodily  up  and  down  the  corridor,  keeping 
close  to  the  windows,  that  anyone  looking  up  from 


292  CARDILLAC 

the  outside  might  see  he  was  on  the  alert.  Pres- 
ently Marie  and  her  guide  appeared.  Cardillac 
dramatically  held  out  his  arms,  and  mademoiselle, 
who  had  been  told  by  the  girl  that  her  lover  wished 
to  see  her,  enacted  the  part  to  perfection.  She 
had  on  many  occasions  assumed  the  role  in  private 
theatricals,  and  now  did  herself  justice;  neverthe- 
less the  fervour  of  Cardillac  proved  embarrassing. 

"You  are  overacting,"  she  whispered. 

"  I  am  not  acting  at  all,"  he  replied. 

"  Such  ardour  as  yours  is  impossible  in  any  coun- 
try, especially  France,  where  all  belief  in  true  love 
has  long  since  departed." 

"  Not  from  your  heart,  Therese." 

"  Oh,  never  mind  my  heart !  What  is  it  you 
came  for?" 

"  Did  the  Queen  sign  that  paper  ordering  the 
imprisonment  of  Rucellai?" 

"  She  signed  a  document  ordering  Epernon, 
his  son,  and  the  abbe  to  cease  their  troubling,  but 
she  will  not  permit  Rucellai  to  be  imprisoned." 

"  Well,  half  a  loaf  if  we  can  get  no  more.  Do 
you  carry  the  message  with  you?" 

"Surely;  everywhere  I  go." 

"  Then,  during  my  next  felicitous  embrace,  pass 
it  to  me  if  you  can." 

"  Don't  distract  my  attention  too  much," 
laughed  mademoiselle.  "Here  it  is.  God  send 
you  may  not  be  searched  on  leaving  the  place.  And 


INTO    THE    ENEMY'S    CITADEL        293 

now,  what  chance  for  the  Queen?  She  is  becom- 
ing irritable  and  difficult  to  deal  with,  because  of 
the  long  delay." 

"That's  the  fool  Rucellai's  fault.  I  should 
not  advise  any  attempt  to  be  made  before  next 
February." 

The  girl  gave  an  exclamation  of  dismay. 

"The  Queen  will  fret  herself  to  death  before 
that  time." 

"  When  all  plots  cease,  discipline  will  relax,  and 
then  something  may  be  accomplished.  Now  it 
is  madness  to  try." 

The  guard  was  giving  signs  of  uneasiness  by 
coughing  loudly,  and  at  last  Maloche's  daughter 
timidly  approached  the  pair. 

"  I  am  sorry,  monsieur,  but  you  must  part.  It 
is  very  dangerous." 

"  I  know  it,"  said  Cardillac,  looking  full  in  the 
laughing  eyes  of  mademoiselle.  "  And  now  two 
more,  with  no  acting  in  them." 

"One,"  said  mademoiselle;  but  he  took  three, 
explaining  hastily,  as  he  tore  himself  away,  that 
this  was  the  sum  total  of  two  and  one. 

Cardillac  was  led  by  Phyllis  Maloche  through 
the  mazes  of  the  palace  to  the  servants'  door,  and 
there,  unsearched  and  unmolested,  he  mounted  the 
farmer's  cart,  was  driven  down  into  the  town, 
across  the  bridge,  and  on  to  the  farm;  old  Ma- 
loche speaking  not  one  word  during  the  journey. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

A   CONFERENCE   DECLINED 

A'  the  farm  Cardillac  mounted  his  horse,  and 
set  off  for  Montrichard,  meaning  to  dine 
there  and  push  on  to  Loches  that  night, 
with  the  warrant  in  his  pocket  that  would  render 
harmless  the  future  activities  of  Rucellai,  abbe  of 
Ligny.     But  when  he  reached  the  Tete  Noire  his 
plans  were  disarranged  by  a  cordial  greeting  from 
the  father  of  the  girl  whom,  that  morning,  he  had 
so  lovingly  embraced. 

An  unwonted  red  mounted  his  cheek  as  he  re- 
membered that  not  once  during  the  brief  inter- 
view had  either  of  them  mentioned  this  dis- 
tinguished nobleman  of  France.  Even  with 
mademoiselle  the  sentiment  of  youth  had  for  the 
moment  obliterated  her  daughterly  affection. 

"  My  lord,  I  am  delighted  to  meet  you,  and 
little  thought  to  find  you  in  this  humble  hostelry. 
I  have  just  arrived  from  Blois,  where  I  had  the 
pleasure  this  morning  of  being  received  by 
mademoiselle  your  daughter." 

A  look  of  amazement  overspread  the  usually 
impassive  face  of  the  Duke  de  Montreuil. 

"  What  you  say  shows  how  undependable  are 

294 


A    CONFERENCE   DECLINED         295 

the  reports  of  spies.  We  have  been  told  that 
Blois  is  impregnably  sealed." 

"The  spies  are  quite  correct,  my  lord;  so 
far  as  is  humanly  practicable,  such  is  the  condi- 
tion of  the  town.  But  I  told  you  I  had  two  methods 
of  communication  with  the  chateau.  One  having 
failed  me  after  repeated  attempts,  I  tried  the 
other,  and  it  proved  so  successful  that  the  second 
avenue  brought  me  to  the  outside  of  Her  Ma- 
jesty's door,  and  gave  me  the  privilege  of  a  few 
words  with  mademoiselle." 

"  Does  her  imprisonment  seem  to  tell  upon  her, 
monsieur?" 

"No,  I  thought  she  looked  very  well  indeed. 
A  little  flushed  perhaps,  and  anxious,  naturally, 
and  doubtless  troubled, — she  tells  me  the  Queen  is 
becoming  more  and  more  querulous  and  difficult  to 
deal  with, — but  yet,  as  it  seemed  to  me,  in  the  most 
radiant  health.  By  my  first  line  of  communica- 
tion I  had  ventured  the  request  that  she  use  her 
influence  with  the  Queen  to  obtain  a  document 
which  would  put  an  end  to  the  intrigues  of  our 
reverend  father,  the  abbe  of  Ligny.  From  her 
own  hands  I  received  this  morning  the  document 
in  question." 

Cardillac  drew  from  his  doublet  the  royal  war- 
rant, and  presented  it  to  the  Duke  de  Montreuil, 
who  perused  it  with  the  habitual  carefulness  of  a 
statesman. 


296  CARDILLAC 

"  You  intend  this  to  reach  the  hands  of  the 
Duke  d'Epernon?  " 

"  Yes,  my  lord ;  and  for  such  purpose  I  entrust 
it  to  you.  I  do  not  for  a  moment  question  that 
the  Duke  d'Epernon,  commander  of  the  Queen's 
forces,  will  see  that  this  order  is  obeyed  as  faith- 
fully, though  it  come  from  a  prison,  as  if  it  came 
from  the  throne." 

"  Of  a  surety,"  concurred  Montreuil. 

"  Nevertheless,  my  lord  duke,  I  implore  you  to 
use  your  influence  with  Epernon,  that  he  may 
take  care  there  is  no  attempt  on  the  part  of  the 
abbe  to  evade  the  restrictions  herein  set  down< 
An  Italian  obeys  a  command  with  mental  reserva- 
tions." 

The  duke  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  An  Italian  may  give  a  command  with  mental 
reservations.  What  if  the  Queen  privately  coun- 
termands this  document  in  a  communication  to  the 
abbe  himself?  I  know  of  old  she  had  the  utmost 
confidence  in  him." 

"  Well,  thank  Heaven,  for  a  month  or  two  she 
can  get  no  message  sent  from  Blois  except  through 
me." 

The  duke  laid  the  parchment  on  the  table. 

''You  shall  yourself  present  this  expression  of 
royal  pleasure  to  the  Duke  d'Epernon,  and  any 
observations  you  make  to  his  lordship  the  com- 
mander I  shall  support  with  all  the  influence  I 


A    CONFERENCE   DECLINED         297 

possess.     I  am  come  from  Loches  with  orders  to 
take  you  back  with  me." 

"  For  what  purpose,  my  lord?  " 
"That  the  Duke  d'Epernon  and  his  son,  the 
archbishop  of  Toulouse,  may  benefit  by  a  conver- 
sation with  you.  I  thought  it  best  to  let  you  know 
the  particulars  of  the  position.  I  am  pleased  to 
announce  that  the  Duke  d'Epernon,  and  more 
especially  his  son,  have  completely  lost  faith  in  the 
projects  of  the  Abbe  Rucellai,  and  so,  even  with- 
out this  document,  I  think  you  will  find  the  way 
clear.  I  have  spoken  on  various  occasions  to  the 
Duke  d'Epernon  regarding  you,  but  I  regret  that 
the  influence  with  which  you  credit  me  has  not 
been  sufficient  to  overcome  his  disbelief  in  your 
good  faith." 

"  In  what  respect  is  my  good  faith  impugned?  " 

'  The  duke  knows  you  went  to  Paris  as  a  parti- 
san of  the  King,  and  he  fears  you  may  be  in  secret 
a  minion  of  Luynes." 

"  That  seems  an  improbable  hypothesis,  my 
lord." 

"Yes,  it  is,  but  Epernon  considers  himself 
very  shrewd.  He  thinks  that  once  my  escape 
from  Paris  became  known,  Luynes  found  him- 
self embarrassed  by  the  imprisonment  of  my 
daughter  in  the  convent.  You  were  therefore  his 
emissary  for  her  release.  In  other  words,  he  did 
not  know  what  to  do  with  her,  and  so  induced 


298  CARDILLAC 

you  to  take  an  unwelcome  burden  off  his 
hands." 

"  How  then  does  he  account  for  my  taking  serv- 
ice with  you,  my  lord,  or  does  he  know  the  cir- 
cumstances in  which  we  left  Paris  together?" 

"Yes;  I  told  him  all  that,  but  with  his  superior 
intelligence  he  believes  that  you  were  actually  set 
upon  me  to  accomplish  my  assassination.  He 
thinks  you  have  hoodwinked  me,  and  he  cannot 
believe  that,  except  with  the  connivance  of 
Luynes  and  his  confederates,  you  could  have 
escaped  alone  and  unattended  through  a  country 
filled  with  King's  men — as  is  the  case  with  the 
Beaugency  district.  Epernon's  own  ineffective  at- 
tempts to  enter  Blois  have  caused  him  to  believe 
that  neither  you  nor  my  daughter  could  have  done 
so  without  the  cognisance  of  Luynes.  There- 
fore he  wishes  to  question  you  face  to  face,  that 
he  may  confirm  or  abolish  the  conclusions  at  which 
he  has  arrived. " 

"I  shall  not  go,"  said  Cardillac  with  decision. 

"Why  not?" 

"  I  hold  no  converse  with  any  man,  high  or  low, 
who  disputes  my  honour." 

"  But  will  you  not,  at  my  request,  defend  your 
honour?  " 

"No,  my  lord  duke.  If  the  Duke  d'Epernon 
dares  to  say  to  my  face  what  he  has  said  to  you,  I 
will  meet  him  sword  in  hand,  but  not  otherwise." 


A    CONFERENCE   DECLINED         299 

The  Duke  de  Montreuil  smiled. 

"  My  lad,  I  should  not  be  too  confident  touch- 
ing the  outcome  of  such  an  encounter.  He  is  will- 
ing to  meet  you  in  fair  speech,  and  I  give  you  my 
assurance  that  such  a  conference  is  safer  than  the 
other." 

"  Not  my  safety,  but  my  honour,  is  in  question. 
I  am  as  proud  as  the  Duke  d'Epernon,  and  my 
lineage  is  as  ancient  as  his.  No  peaceful  meeting 
between  us  is  possible  after  what  he  has  said." 

"  But,  Cardillac,  will  you  not  listen  to  me  ?  Will 
you  not  accept  my  advice?" 

"No,  my  lord  duke.  I  say  it  regretfully,  but 
on  this  point  I  am  immovable." 

"  Look  you,  Cardillac,  you  are  at  the  begin- 
ning of  what  I  hope  will  be  a  most  glorious  career. 
Your  qualities  are  those  which  I  most  admire,  and 
your  fortunes  I  am  willing  to  further  with  my 
power." 

"  I  thank  you,  my  lord  duke,  and  hope  in  the 
future  to  enlist  your  favour." 

"  Very  well.  You  have  broken  completely  with 
the  King's  party.  In  that  direction  your  career 
is  at  an  end.  Is  it  wise,  then,  to  block  promotion 
through  the  only  other  avenue  open  to  you,  by  re- 
fusing the  request  of  the  Duke  d'Epernon,  who 
asks  you  to  come  to  him?" 

"My  lord  duke,  after  I  have  released  the 
Queen,  and  handed  her  over  to  the  Duke  d'Eper- 


300  CARDILLAC 

non,  I  turn  my  horse's  head  to  the  south.  I  am 
done  with  both  parties.  My  experience  teaches 
me  that  there  are  mostly  knaves  on  one  side,  and 
mostly  fools  on  the  other.  I  ask  favour  from 
neither  party." 

"  You  estimate  Luynes  a  knave?  " 

"I  do,  and  Epernon  a  fool;  and  you  may  tell 
him  so." 

Again  the  duke  smiled,  but  gave  Cardillac  no 
hint  that  enlightened  him  regarding  his  own 
opinion. 

"Ah,  Cardillac,  I  envy  you  that  absolute  con- 
fidence of  youth.  At  your  age  I  was  similarly 
certain  of  everything.  Now  my  judgments  ap- 
pear to  have  liquefied.  I  find  no  man  completely 
a  fool,  and  no  man  completely  a  knave." 

The  duke  took  up  the  parchment  from  the  table, 
folded  it,  and  placed  it  in  his  pocket. 

"  I  shall  rest  here  for  the  night,  and  deliver 
this  to  the  commander  to-morrow.  And  now,  Car- 
dillac, you  must  dine  with  me." 

"  Not  so,  my  lord  duke.  It  is  my  turn,  and  you 
are  my  guest  at  mine  inn.  I  can  assure  you  of  a 
more  creditable  dinner  than  you  might  expect,  and 
an  exhilarating  wine  from  Vouvray,  whose  bin  I 
am  gradually  consuming." 

The  duke  assented,  and  Cardillac  took  his  leave, 
mounted  the  stairs,  washed  away  the  traces  of  his 
journey,  and  dressed  himself  with  some  care. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

THE    TEST    OF    THE    SWORD 

THE  first  of  winter's  fierce  storms  smote 
down  upon  Touraine,  coming  eastward 
from  the  Atlantic,  and  across  the  Bay  of 
Biscay.    The  rain  raged  upon  the  Black  Head 
Inn,  and  the  wind  rattled  the  stout  shutters.    The 
descending  deluge  and  the  roaring  wind  but  ac- 
centuated the  jollity  within.     A  great  fire  blazed 
on  the  broad  hearth  of  the  tavern's  long  dining- 
room,  which  held  a  single  main  table  and  several 
smaller  ones. 

At  the  head  of  the  chief  table  sat  the  radi- 
ant Cardillac,  with  his  jovial  friends,  the  silk- 
spinners,  up  and  down  each  side.  Cardillac  was 
host  for  the  evening,  and  the  Vouvray  he  had 
commended  flowed  freely.  Down  the  long  centre 
of  the  table  lay  many  strands  of  finely  spun  silk  of 
various  colours,  and  while  the  landlord,  stout  of 
body  and  rosy  of  face,  saw  that  every  flagon  was 
kept  full,  Cardillac  held  forth  eloquently  on  the 
merits  of  the  various  silks  of  the  world,  and  the 
superiority  of  the  Montrichard  silk-spinners  and 
weavers  to  all  mankind  elsewhere — a  sentiment 

301 


302  CARDILLAC 

that  was   received  with  great  applause  and  the 
pounding  of  flagons  on  the  table. 

"  As  you  all  know,  my  friends,  I  offered  a  prize, 
divided  into  three  portions,  for  the  three  best, 
slimmest  and  strongest  cords  of  silk,  and  to-night 
we  celebrate  the  accomplishment  of  the  task.  I 
now  sit  in  the  seat  of  judgment,  and  I  trust  my 
award  will  be  received  as  impartial,  for  I  have 
scrupulously  tested  every  strand  submitted  to  me.'* 

"Hurrah  for  the  judge!"  cried  one  of  the 
spinners,  and  "Hurrah!"  they  all  shouted  in  uni-' 
son,  drinking  heartily  to  Cardillac,  who  bowed  in 
response.  "And  I  would  say,"  continued  the 
spinner  who  had  spoken  first,  "that  the  verdict 
will  be  a  just  one,  and  this  I  announce  before  pro- 
nouncement is  made.  Any  man  who  disputes  it 
will  'meet  my  fist  in  his  face." 

The  crowd  clamoured  and  drank  again.  Car- 
dillac sat  silent,  his  eyes  glowing  upon  the  coloured 
strands  of  silk. 

.  "Silence  for  the  judge!"  demanded  one  of  the 
company,  and  the  noise  subsided.  Cardillac  rose 
to  his  feet. 

"  Landlord,  fill  the  flagons,"  he  said,  "  and  then 
sit  down.  I  cannot  have  this  speech  interrupted 
even  by  the  pouring  out  of-  wine." 

The  landlord  obeyed. 

"  Now,  craftsmen  in  the  most  delicate  and  beau- 
tiful of  all  industries,  I  have  with  great  care  tested 


THE    TEST    OF    THE    SWORD        303 

these  various  cords,  and  the  result  is,  where  all 
are  so  excellent,  I  cannot  say  that  any  one  strand 
excels  the  others.  Therefore,  with  your  permis- 
sion, I  shall  not  divide  the  amount  I  have  promised 
between  so  great  a  number  of  persons,  but  I  shall 
take  that  amount,  and  deliver  a  similar  sum  to 
each  man 'of  you,  the  only  condition  being  that  I 
am  to  have  and  hold  these  cords,  seemingly  fragile 
as  a  spider's  spinning,  yet  strong  as  the  steel  of 
Toledo." 

At  this  there  was  tremendous  cheering,  the  silk- 
spinners  rising  to  their  feet  and  making  the 
blackened  rafters  ring.  Such  generosity  had  never 
before  been  known  in  Montrichard,  for  each  spin- 
ner was  to  receive  in  a  lump  more  than  he  could 
earn  by  a  long  winter's  work.  In  the  midst  of  the 
uproar  caused  by  the  storm  without  and  the  cheers 
within,  Cardillac  saw  that  the  inn-keeper  was 
gesticulating  and  trying  to  make  himself  heard. 

;<  What  is  wrong  with  you  ?  "  he  demanded. 

"  Monsieur,  there  is  someone  knocking  at  the 
door.  Lord  pity  anyone  out  a  night  like  this. 
Shall  we  admit  them?" 

"  Certainly,"  replied  Cardillac.  "  'Tis  not  a 
night  for  a  dog  to  be  abroad,  let  alone  a  man. 
Comrades,  to  your  seats;  and  so  that  no  stranger 
may  intrude  upon  our  mysteries,  excuse  me  while 
I  gather  these  cords  and  conceal  them  in  my  room. 
I  pay  the  awards  to-morrow  morning,  when  my 


304  CARDILLAC 

head  is  clear.  To-night  the  wine  flows  within,  as 
the  rain  pours  without.  Let  the  exhilaration  of 
the  one  nullify  the  inconvenience  of  the  other. 
When  I  return  I  shall  relate  to  you  more  of  my 
adventures,  which  you  were  good  enough  to  com- 
mend the  other  night." 

Quickly  he  gathered  the  silk  from  vthe  table, 
and  disappeared  up  the  stairs.  When  he  returned 
and  took  his  seat  ag&ih,  the  landlord  was  usher- 
ing in  three  men  heavily  cloaked  and  dripping. 
Ostlers  were  hurrying  along  the  passage  to  attend 
to  the  storm-beaten  horses  outside.  Cardillac 
gave  but  a  glance  at  the  three  men,  as  the  landlord 
took  their  sodden  cloaks  and  spread  them  so  that 
they  might  dry  before  the  fire. 

The  youngest  man,  a  fine-faced  fellow  of  about 
thirty,  wore  a  garb  difficult  to  place,  it  being  partly 
clerical,  partly  military.  The  next  eldest,  a  for- 
eigner with  a  crafty,  furtive  look,  was  undeniably 
a  priest,  and  clothed  as  such.  The  oldest,  the  only 
one  of  the  group  whose  hair  was  grey,  stood  tall 
and  well-formed ;  a  man,  despite  his  age,  in  the 
very  pink  of  condition.  His  calling  was  stamped 
indelibly  upon  him;  erect,  gaunt,  a  man  of  iron 
nerve,  a  soldier  without  hazard.  He  seemed 
leader  of  the  party,  and  gave  short,  curt  orders  to 
the  obsequious  inn-keeper,  whose  experience  told 
him  that  the  three  were  gentlemen. 

The  military  man   ordered  supper  and  wine, 


THE    TEST    OF    THE    SWORD        305 

then,  bowing  to  Cardillac,  begged  permission  for 
himself  and  his  friends  to  stand  in  front  of  the 
fire.  Cardillac  rose  and  bowed  in  return,  giv- 
ing them  a  Gascon's  gesture  of  welcome,  and  the 
three  warmed  their  stiffened  fingers  at  the  fire. 
The  stout  landlord  bustled  about  with  an  activity 
astonishing  in  a  man  of  his  bulk,  and  set  forth,  on 
one  of  the  small  tables,  an  Dimple  meal,  with  a  gen- 
erous supply  of  wine. 

When  all  was  ready  the  three  strangers  sat 
down  to  their  supper,  and  consumed  it  in  silence. 
It  seemed  as  if  the  rigour  of  the  weather  without 
had  penetrated  to  their  bones,  freezing  that 
geniality  which  should  always  accompany  a  good 
ineal  earned  by  a  long  journey. 

In  striking  contrast  to  this  gloomy  trio  sat  the 
large  party  at  the  long  table.  Cardillac  enter- 
tained his  guests  by  telling  story  after  story.  He 
related  tales  of  adventure,  current  in  the  land  of 
Gascony,  that  were  new  to  his  hearers,  and  upon 
occasion  he  broke  forth  into  song,  amidst  generous 
applause.  If  the  storm  raged  without,  harmony 
prevailed  within,  at  least  till  the  moment  when 
the  senior  of  the  strangers  intervened. 

Several  times  when  the  hilarity  had  become 
boisterous,  the  grey-haired  man  looked  over  his 
shoulder  with  a  frown  upon  his  brow.  If  Cardil- 
lac saw  this  sign  of  disapproval,  he  paid  no  atten- 
tion to  it,  believing  that  in  a  public  caravanserai  a 


306  CARDILLAC 

man  was  entitled  to  such  entertainment  as  pleased 
him  best,  as  long  as  he  infringed  none  of  the  rules 
of  the  house,  and  paid  his  score  when  it  was  pre- 
sented. One  anecdote  having  been  received  with 
especial  favour,  the  tall  stranger  turned  round  on 
his  bench  and  said: 

"  Sir,  you  may  have  observed  that  one,  at  least, 
of  those  sitting  round  this  table  wears  the  cloth  of 
the  church.  For  your  further  information  I  may 
impart  to  you  that  another,  though  not  in  strictly 
clerical  garb,  occupies  a  position  in  Christian  coun- 
cil equal  to  that  of  any  peer  of  the  realm.  I  my- 
self am  a  serious  man  and  a  religious.  Although 
we  are  the  latest  comers,  it  is  not  meet  that  our 
ears  should  be  offended  by  such  ribaldry  as  you 
have  just  pronounced,  in  a  public  room." 

In  response  to  this,  Cardillac  inclined  his  head 
very  low,  then  brought  it  up  to  a  straightness 
which  he  always  assumed  when  his  pride  was 
touched.  He  spoke  slowly  in  reply: 

"  Sir,  it  is  my  proudest  boast  that  I  am  a  faith- 
ful and  devoted  son  of  the  church,  and  a  respecter 
of  all  who  act  under  her  authority.  Therefore  I 
should  be  the  last  man  in  France  to  give  utter- 
ance to  a  syllable  that  might  not  be  heard  with 
propriety  even  by  the  most  devout.  The  incident 
with  which  I  regaled  my  friends  here  was  told  to 
me  in  the  first  place  by  as  good  a  priest  as  ever 
read  his  breviary." 


THE    TEST   OF   THE    SWORD       307 

"  For  nearly  an  hour,"  said  the  elder  man 
quietly,  "  we  have  been  compelled  to  listen  to  your 
frivolity.  Sir,  you  are  very  juvenile,  and  there 
are  older  heads  than  yours  around  your  table  who 
should  not  have  left  to  me  the  task  of  re- 
proof." 

"Reproof?"  echoed  Cardillac.  "Reproof? 
May  I  persuade  you,  sir,  to  reconsider  that 
word?" 

"  The  word  seems  adequate  to  the  circum- 
stances. With  your  permission,  therefore,  we  will 
allow  it  to  remain." 

"It  is  with  deep  regret,  monsieur,  that  I  find 
myself  unable  to  grant  that  permission." 

Cardillac  rose  to  his  feet,  and  continued  in 
measured  tones: 

"  If,  unasked,  you  will  assume  the  role  of  school- 
master— your  companions  being  priests  and  there- 
fore unequipped  with  any  rod  of  correction  to 
make  a  reproof  effective — I  now  request  you  to 
use  your  instrument  of  coercion,  or  else  instantly 
withdraw  the  word  to  which  I  have  taken  excep- 
tion." 

This  ultimatum  was  delivered  with  a  gracious 
inclination  of  the  head,  as  Cardillac  removed  his 
rapier  from  its  scabbard.  The  action  caused 
some  of  his  guests  to  move  themselves  to  the  other 
side  of  the  table  with  more  celerity  than  dignity. 

The  elder  man   courteously  acknowledged  his 


308  CARDILLAC 

opponent's  declaration,  and  drew  forth  his  own 
blade.  During  the  dialogue,  which  was  carried 
on  in  a  low,  conversational  tone,  the  priest  bent  his 
eyes  on  the  table,  never  looking  up.  The  young- 
est of  the  party  leaned  back  with  an  air  of  in- 
difference, although  at  times  a  fleeting  smile 
illumined  his  handsome  countenance.  Neither  o£ 
the  two  spoke,  nor  made  any  effort  to  arrange  a 
compromise. 

The  quarrel  had  risen  so  unexpectedly  and  upon 
such  slight  excuse  that  Cardillac,  somewhat  be- 
lated as  he  admitted  to  himself,  began  to  think, 
and  stood  there  irresolute,  sword  in  hand.  Sud- 
denly he  remembered  his  mission,  and  the  national 
cause  that  hung  upon  his  success  and  the  personal 
issue  involved  in  the  completion  of  his  task.  How 
was  he  to  know  that  these  strangers  were  not  dis- 
guised assassins  sent  by  Luynes  ? 

He  stood  practically  at  their  mercy,  for  his  own 
friends,  although  in  the  majority,  were  unarmed, 
and  even  if  they  possessed  weapons  could  make 
little  use  of  them.  Yet  he  had  allowed  himself 
to  be  drawn  into  this  brawl,  and  had  actually  been 
the  first  to  show  steel ;  so,  whatever  ensued,  inves- 
tigation would  show  that  he  had  been  the  aggres- 
sor, changing  the  issue  from  one  of  words  to  one 
of  weapons. 

Mentally  dubbing  himself  an  impetuous  fool, 
he  tightened  his  grip  on  the  hilt  of  his  rapier,  and, 


THE    TEST    OF    THE    SWORD        309 

remembering  how  good  a  swordsman  he  was, 
would  have  entered  the  conflict  untroubled  were 
it  not  for  his  fear  of  a  rearward  attack  from  the 
other  two,  when  he  had  disarmed  or  wounded  his 
opponent. 

The  elder  man  stood  with  the  knuckles  of  his 
left  hand  pressed  against  his  hip;  his  right  rested 
on  the  hilt  of  his  sword,  whose  point  impinged 
upon  the  floor,  like  a  walking  stick  sported  by  a 
dandy.  He  noted  Cardillac's  hesitation,  regard- 
ing him  with  a  quizzical  look,  while  his  lip  curled 
slightly,  giving  his  face  a  disdainful  expression. 
Cardillac,  seeing  this,  roused  himself  from  his 
momentary  reverie,  resentment  at  the  unwarranted 
intrusion  rising  uppermost  in  his  mind. 

"At  your  pleasure,  monsieur,"  said  the  young 
man. 

"  Monsieur,  I  await  yours,"  replied  the  elder. 

An  unaccustomed  thrill  travelled  up  Cardillac's 
right  arm  as  the  sword-blades  lay  together  in  mid- 
air. He  was  conscious  of  a  strength  behind  his 
opponent's  weapon  that  he  had  never  before  en- 
countered, but  more  ominous  was  the  skill  with 
which  his  own  steel  was  held  nerveless  and  immov- 
able. 

There  was  nothing  spectacular  about  the  con- 
test; no  clashing  of  metal,  no  thrusts,  and  conse- 
quently no  parrying,  but  it  seemed  to  the  spec- 
tators that  the  two  blades  had  become  welded 


310  CARDILLAC 

together,  and  that  neither  combatant  could  draw 
them  apart. 

But  Cardillac  was  no  spectator,  ignorant  of 
fence.  He  considered  himself  an  expert  at  this 
play,  but  never  before  had  he  met  a  man  whose 
sword  seemed  to  be  a  magician's  wand  that,  at  a 
touch,  completely  paralysed  his  own  blade.  How- 
ever, it  occurred  to  him  that  this  was  a  game  at 
which  he  could  hold  out  indefinitely,  that  could 
come  to  no  conclusion,  and  that  was  as  nullifying 
for  his  opponent  as  for  himself. 

Skill,  however  great,  could  not  in  the  long  run 
take  the  place  of  strength,  and  as  Cardillac  was 
the  younger  man,  he  must  eventually  win,  even 
against  a  trick  so  unusual.  So  they  held  grimly 
on,  each  man  standing  his  ground,  giving  way  not 
an  inch. 

Suddenly  the  stranger's  blade  seemed  to  lose 
grip,  and  its  point,  like  the  sting  of  a  serpent, 
passed  under  the  quillon  of  Cardillac's  guard,  and 
deftly  pricked  his  hand,  causing  a  momentary  re- 
laxation of  his  grip.  Next  instant  Cardillac's 
sword  was  whirled  through  the  air,  its  point  stuck 
in  the  timbered  ceiling,  with  the  pommel  swaying 
to  and  fro  in  space  like  a  pendulum. 


CHAPTER   XXX 

AN    ALLY    OF   NEITHER 

ONCE  more  the  stranger  sported  his 
weapon  after  the  fashion  of  a  dandy's 
cane,  his  open  palm  resting  on  the  pom- 
mel, his  cynical  smile  turned  upon  his  discomfited 
antagonist,  contemptuously  pitiful,  as  a  grown  man 
regards  the  blundering  of  an  untaught  boy. 

Cardillac  did  not  move,  but  placed  his  arms 
akimbo,  and  stood  there  defenceless,  although  he 
might  easily  have  reached  forward  and  pulled  his 
rapier  from  the  ceiling,  for  the  other  was  in  no 
attitude  instantly  to  prevent  this. 

"  I  think,  sir,"  proposed  the  stranger  deferen- 
tially, as  if  putting  forward  a  statement  which 
might  be  disputed,  "that  your  life  lies  at  my 
mercy." 

"Take  it,"  said  Cardillac  indifferently,  but  al- 
though he  spoke  nonchalantly,  chagrin  made  his 
heart  burn  within  him. 

He  remembered  his  unjustifiable  fear  that  the 
other  two  would  interfere,  and  although  the 
thought  was  unspoken,  he  was  humiliated  that  it 
had  occurred  to  him.  N-either  of  the  other  two 

311 


CAKDILLAC 

had  moved  from  his  place:  there  was  no  need  for 
them  to  do  so.  Cardillac  had  been  helpless  as  a 
child  from  the  first. 

"I  have  no  wish  to  take  it,  monsieur.  Man's 
life  decreases  in  value  as  man  increases  in  years. 
My  own  life  I  hold  as  of  small  worth,  but  exist- 
ence now  opens  to  you  its  most  advantageous 
period.  I  would  therefore  gladly  bestow  it  on 
you,  unless  you  compel  me  to  deprive  you  of  it." 

"What  are  your  conditions,  monsieur?" 

"  There  is  but  one  condition,  which  is  that  you 
drink  a  toast  with  me." 

"  I  am  willing,  so  long  as  I  am  not  asked  to 
admit  that  any  lady  is  more  beautiful  than  she 
whom  I  have  the  honour  to  serve." 

''There  you  see,  monsieur,  you  prove  my  con- 
tention regarding  the  value  of  life.  You  would 
die  rather  than  proclaim  another  fairer  than  the 
divinity  you  worship.  I  shall  put  your  loyalty  to 
no  such  test,  for  the  beauty  of  woman  is  a  subject 
indifferent  to  me." 

:'  Very  well,  monsieur,  then  I  am  prepared  to 
drink  with  you." 

One  of  Cardillac's  friends,  delighted  to  see  that 
wine,  rather  than  blood,  was  to  flow,  filled  the 
young  man's  flagon  and  handed  it  to  him.  The 
gentleman  in  semi-military  garb  did  the  same  fav- 
our for  the  elder  man,  who,  raising  his  measure 
aloft,  cried: 


AN    ALLY    OF    NEITHER  313 

"  I  give  you  his  most  gracious  Majesty,  King 
Louis,  the  thirteenth  of  that  name !  " 

Cardillac  gently  laid  down  his  filled  cup  upon 
the  table. 

"  Monsieur,"  he  said,  "  the  number  thirteen  is 
unlucky." 

"How  so?" 

"  For  me,  I  mean.  I  cannot  drink  to  the  King." 

"  Well,  monsieur,  you  seem  difficult  to  please, 
and  apparently  would  force  me  to  extremes — a 
course  I  am  loth  to  follow  in  this  instance — there- 
fore I  shall  amend  my  proposition.  As  you  do 
not  care  to  accept  my  toast,  give  me  one  of  your 
own.  If  I  refuse,  then  it  seems  we  are  quits,  and 
so  again  your  life  is  spared.  But  you  must  pro- 
pose a  serious  toast,  suitable  for  a  serious  and 
aged  man.  I  refuse  to  drink  to  any  young 
lady." 

"  Sir,  I  could  not  have  encountered  a  more  gen- 
erous opponent,  whose  nobility  is  only  equalled  by 
his  skill  of  hand  and  strength  of  arm.  I  give  you, 
sir,  the  Queen,  wrongfully  imprisoned  by  her 
enemies !  I  ask  you  all  to  stand  and  drink  to  her 
speedy  release." 

As  he  made  this  request,  he  looked  towards  his 
friends,  who  were  instantly  on  their  feet,  but  there 
arose  also  the  two  strangers  seated  at  the  smaller 
table. 

"  The  Queen !  "  cried  his  late  antagonist,  raising 


314.  CARDILLAC 

aloft  his  goblet.  "  Health  and  liberty  to  the 
Queen,  and  confusion  to  her  enemies !  " 

The  stranger  put  down  his  drained  tankard,  and 
extended  his  hand. 

"  Monsieur  de  Cardillac,  I  am  gratified  to  meet 
you.  Allow  me  to  introduce  myself." 

"  My  lord,  there  is  no  need.  Your  sword  has 
been  your  sponsor.  You  must  be  the  Duke 
d'Epernon,  commander  of  the  Queen's  forces." 

For  the  first  time  since  he  had  arrived,  the  duke 
laughed;  then,  turning  to  his  two  companions,  he 
introduced  the  military-clerical  man  as  his  son,  the 
archbishop  of  Toulouse,  and  the  other  as  Rucel- 
lai,  the  very  reverend  the  abbe  of  Ligny. 

"  As  a  man  of  peace,"  said  the  abbe,  "  I  beg  to 
l)e  allowed  to  draw  this  sword  from  the  ceiling 
and  restore  it  to  its  owner." 

"  I  fear  such  a  restitution  is  not  in  the  interests 
of  peace,  abbe,"  commented  the  duke,  "  for  al- 
though our  contest  seemed  unexciting,  Monsieur 
de  Cardillac  is  nevertheless  one  of  the  best  swords- 
men I  have  ever  met.  And  now,  Monsieur  de  Car- 
dillac, when  you  are  at  liberty,  I  should  like  you  to 
join  our  party.  We  have  come  over  from  Loches 
especially  to  see  you.  I  suppose  the  landlord  can 
give  us  lodging  for  the  night." 

The  landlord  assured  the  duke  that  he  had 
ample  accommodation,  but  feared  none  of  his 
.rooms  were  worthy  of  holding  so  distinguished  a 


AN    ALLY    OF   NEITHER  315 

guest.  His  lordship  replied  that  he  was  an  old 
campaigner,  who  looked  upon  the  comforts  of  an 
inn  as  unnecessary  luxuries. 

The  silk-spinners  took  their  departure,  going 
out,  not  by  the  front  door,  but  down  into  the  cel- 
lar, with  their  lighted  lanthorns,  and  so  into  under- 
ground passages  until  they  came  to  their  dwellings 
in  the  chalk  cliff,  thus  avoiding  the  bitterness  of  a 
winter  night.  The  small  table  was  drawn  up 
nearer  to  the  fire,  the  landlord  provided  an  ample 
supply  of  wine,  and  the  four  men  seated  them- 
selves in  front  of  the  blazing  logs.  The  com- 
mander of  the  Queen's  forces  was  the  first  to 
speak,  and  he  addressed  Cardillac. 

"When  the  Duke  de  Montreuil  told  me  you 
refused  a  conference,  except  at  the  sword's  point, 
I  resolved  on  the  first  opportunity  to  oblige  you, 
even  if  I  was  compelled  to  take  a  disagreeable 
journey  for  that  purpose." 

"  My  lord,  I  apologise  for  my  boorishness  in 
disobeying  your  command,  and  regret  that  I  have 
put  you  to  the  inconvenience  of  a  journey  to  Mont- 
richard." 

"  Oh,  that's  no  matter.  Our  ride  hither  has 
settled  two  questions,  which  perhaps  would  not 
have  been  resolved  so  well  at  Loches.  The  first 
pertains  to  your  swordsmanship,  and  the  second 
to  your  loyalty,  which,  as  my  friend  Montreuil 
was  injudicious  enough  to  disclose  to  you,  I 


316  CARDILLAC 

doubted.  For  such  disbelief  I  now  apologise.  In 
these  troublous  times  true  men  should  hold  no  mis- 
understandings with  one  another,  and  I  trust  all 
is  now  clear  between  us." 

"So  far  as  I  am  concerned,  that  is  the  case," 
replied  Cardillac. 

"Good.  Well,  we  wish  to  enlist  your  assist- 
ance in  liberating  the  queen,  and  Montreuil  has 
for  some  time  proclaimed  your  merits,  which 
I  did  not  accept  at  their  proper  valuation.  We 
have  been  using  every  effort  towards  the  Queen's 
escape,  but  up  to  the  present  time  have  been  un- 
successful. Now  a  new  difficulty  has  arisen,  corn- 
ing from  a  most  unexpected  quarter ;  a  quarter  so 
exalted  that  our  criticism  is  stricken  dumb.  The 
Queen  has  caused  to  be  sent  to  me  an  order  for- 
bidding the  very  reverend  the  abbe  of  Ligny  from 
making  any  further  efforts  on  her  behalf.  The 
Queen,  poor  lady,  has  been  these  months  past  cut 
off  from  all  communication  with  her  followers. 
She  is  surrounded  by  women,  and  naturally  knows 
nothing  of  what  is  going  on  outside  her  prison 
walls.  I  daresay  that  the  failure  of  our  efforts 
has  increased  the  rigour  of  her  imprisonment,  and 
this  doubtless  is  partly  to  blame  for  the  unfor- 
tunate proclamation — if  I  dare  call  it  so,  in  all 
loyalty.  In  addition  to  this,  someone  must  have 
poisoned  the  mind  of  Her  Majesty  against  the 
abbe  of  Ligny." 


AN    ALLY    OF   NEITHER  317 

"  My  lord  duke,  excuse  my  interruption,  but  if 
Her  Majesty  is  cut  off  from  all  communication 
with  the  outside  world,  how  could  she  know  any- 
thing of  the  abbe's  doings?  " 

"  Of  course,  my  dear  Cardillac,  a  certain  per- 
centage of  news  filters  through,  but  we  have 
reason  to  doubt  the  genuineness  of  this  proclama- 
tion. The  signature  certainly  resembles  that  of 
the  Queen,  but  there  are  some  expert  forgers  in 
the  other  camp,  and  the  blow  is  so  unexpected,  and 
so  contrary  to  Her  Majesty's  own  interests,  that 
without  corroboration  we  hesitate  to  act  upon  it." 

"  From  whom  did  you  receive  the  proclama- 
tion?" 

"  From  the  Duke  de  Montreuil  himself." 

"And  from  whom  did  the  duke  receive  it?" 

"  That  he  refused  to  disclose,  but  he  assured  me 
that  the  document  came  directly  from  the  Queen." 

"The  Duke  de  Montreuil  would  never  make 
such  a  statement  unless  he  believed  it  to  be  true?" 

"  Certainly  not.  I  am  well  aware  that  he  credits 
it,  but  until  I  know  the  avenue  through  which  it 
came,  and  so  can  add  my  own  judgment  to  that  of 
Montreuil's,  I,  as  commander  of  the  forces,  hesi- 
tate to  act  upon  it." 

"  Would  you  obey  the  document  if  you  knew  it 
to  be  genuine?  " 

"Of  a  certainty.  How  can  you  ask  such  a 
question?  " 


818  CARDILLAC 

"  Because  in  that  case  I  shall  tell  you  how  it 
came  into  the  Duke  de  Montreuil's  hands." 

"  You  ?  How  can  you  possibly  know  anything 
about  it?" 

"  I  gave  it  to  the  duke,  and  asked  him  to  pre- 
sent it  to  you.  I  am  acquainted  with  one  of  the 
Queen's  ladies-in-waiting,  and  asked  her  to  per- 
suade the  Queen  to  sign  such  a  proclamation.  I 
myself  got  the  document  from  the  chateau  at 
Blois,  and  finding  the  Duke  de  Montreuil  here  on 
my  arrival,  did  not  go  through  to  Loches,  as  was 
at  first  my  intention,  but  gave  it  instead  to  him." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  assert,"  said  the  Italian, 
speaking  for  the  first  time,  and  speaking  very 
softly,  although  there  was  a  dangerous  glitter  in 
his  eyes,  "that  it  was  upon  your  advice — you,  a 
man  unknown  in  our  ranks — that  Her  Majesty 
issued  what  was  practically  a  sentence  of  dismissal 
against  one  of  her  most  faithful  servants?" 

"Yes." 

"  May  I  ask  why?  Surely  you  feel  no  personal 
animus  against  me?" 

"  None  in  the  least,  reverend  father.  I  took 
the  course,  of  which  doubtless  you  disapprove,  be- 
cause all  your  ingenuities  had  failed.  Worse  than 
that,  you  were  keeping  the  town  of  Blois  on  the 
alert,  and  thus  prevented  my  success.  As  well 
might  a  man  endeavour  to  extract  honey  from  a 


AN   ALLY   OF   NEITHER  319 

bee-hive  while  someone  else  was  irritating  the 
bees  with  a  stick." 

The  abbe  was  about  to  reply,  when  the  arch- 
bishop of  Toulouse,  his  superior,  motioned  him  to 
continue  silent. 

"  There  is  little  use  in  arguing  the  pros  and  cons 
of  the  proclamation,"  said  the  archbishop.  "  Let 
us  talk  of  the  future,  rather  than  of  the  past.  We 
are  here  for  a  practical  purpose,  Monsieur  de  Car- 
dillac,  and  the  proposal  we  offer  you  is  this.  You 
are  a  man  with  your  way  to  make  in  the  world.  I 
suppose  I  may  take  that  for  granted?" 

"  Yes,  my  lord  archbishop." 

"  You  are  young,  energetic,  fearless ;  exactly  the 
man  the  abbe  of  Ligny  needs  to  carry  out  his 
plans.  If  you  return  with  us  to  Loches,  and  take 
service  under  the  direction  of  the  abbe,  I  make  no 
doubt  the  next  project  will  prove  successful." 

"  I  have  been  told,  my  lord  archbishop,  that 
there  are  many  spies  in  Loches,  and  their  presence 
may  account  for  the  failure  of  former  schemes  for 
the  Queen's  liberation,  as  I  am  sure  the  plans  of 
the  abbe  of  Ligny  must  be  well  laid.  On  account 
of  the  spies  alone  I  should  be  compelled  to  refuse 
the  invitation  to  Loches." 

"Youth  is  ever  confident.  Perhaps  you  scorn 
my  assistance,  monsieur  ?  "  said  the  abbe  placidly. 

"Oh,  no,  reverend  father.     On  any  ordinary 


320  CARDILLAC 

occasion  I  sHould  welcome  it,  but  a  battle  and  a 
plot  are  two  different  things.  The  more  men  you 
can  secure  on  your  side  in  a  battle,  the  better;  the 
fewer  there  are  in  a  plot,  the  better.  In  my  plot 
there  are  two  persons,  and  that  is  just  double  the 
ideal  number." 

"  Young  man,  tell  me  your  plot.  We  shall  all 
treat  what  you  say  in  the  utmost  confidence." 

"  My  plot,  abbe,  is  very  simple.  It  consists  in 
transferring  Her  Majesty  the  Queen  from  the 
chateau  of  Blois  to  the  chateau  of  Loches." 

"  But  the  details,  monsieur,"  persisted  the  abbe. 

"  Oh,  the  details  !  They  are  like  the  weather, 
and  change  day  by  day;  often  several  times  a 
day." 

The  Duke  d'Epernon  did  not  like  the  trend  of 
the  conversation.  He  thought  his  lesson  in 
swordsmanship  should  have  taught  the  young  man 
a  little  more  modesty  than  he  appeared  to  possess. 
A  dark  frown  was  slowly  gathering  on  his 
brow. 

"  I  think,  monsieur,"  he  said,  "  you  treat  the 
abbe  with  less  consideration  than  his  high  office, 
or  his  distinguished  personal  qualifications,  de- 


serve." 


Cardillac  rose  to  his  feet. 

"  I  regret,  my  lord  duke,  that  what  I  have  said 
has  produced  such  an  impression  upon  your  mind. 
I  assure  both  you  and  the  abbe  that  I  mean  no 


AN    ALLY    OF    NEITHER 

disrespect  to  himself  or  the  company.  The  mis- 
understanding is  caused  by  my  crude  endeavours 
to  be  courteous. 

"Ah,  you  may  smile,  but  what  I  say  is  strictly 
true.  I  am  usually  very  direct  in  my  speech,  and 
no  man  mistakes  my  meaning.  Here  I  have  made 
an  attempt  at  verbal  fencing,  with  the  same  result 
that  followed  my  measuring  swords  with  you,  my 
lord  duke.  I  shall  now  speak  plainly.  I  belong 
to  neither  faction  that  divides  France.  As  I  told 
the  Duke  de  Montreuil,  I  believe  there  are  mostly 
knaves  on  one  side,  and  mostly  fools  on  the  other." 

;' You  hold  a  flattering  opinion  of  your  country, 
young  man,"  said  the  duke. 

"  Oh,  there  is  nothing  wrong  with  the  country. 
I  am  referring  merely  to  those  in  high  offices  on 
either  side.  I  refuse,  then,  to  be  labelled,  and 
called  King's  man  or  Queen's  man.  I  am  in  this 
contest  for  Victor  de  Cardillac,  and  I  am  going  to 
fight  as  Victor  de  Cardillac  orders.  I  ask  no 
man's  assistance,  and  I  will  assist  no  man.  I  re- 
fuse to  disclose  the  particulars  of  my  conspiracies 
to  anyone. 

"If  I  succeed,  the  Queen  will  reach  Loches;  if 
I  fail,  my  head  will  reach  the  block.  It  is  like  to 
do  so  in  any  case,  if  I  fall  into  the  clutches  of 
Luynes.  If  I  fail,  I  pay  the  penalty;  if  I  succeed, 
I  ask  no  office  in  the  gift  of  the  Queen,  and  no 
money  from  the  coffers  of  her  supporters.  And 


322  CAKDILLAC 

now,  gentlemen,   if  I  have  made  myself  under- 
stood, I  beg  leave  to  bid  you  good-night. " 

"  Good-night,"  responded  the  Duke  d'Epernon 
shortly.  The  other  two  said  nothing,  and  Car- 
dillac,  with  a  comprehensive  bow  to  all  three,  went 
up  the  stairs,  and  so  to  bed. 


CHAPTER   XXXI 

AN  INTRIGUING   VIS-A-VIS 

WHEN  Cardillac  awoke  next  morning 
he  had  no  desire  to  proceed  further 
with  the  acquaintance  of  the  three 
men,  so  after  an  early  breakfast  he  saddled  his 
horse  and  rode  northward.  In  spite  of  the  severe 
contest  he  had  had  with  old  Maloche,  he  was, 
nevertheless,  welcomed  at  the  manor  farm,  because 
at  the  end  of  each  visit  he  made  the  agriculturist 
a  payment  in  gold.  After  the  night's  storm  the 
day  had  dawned  clear  and  cold. 

Cardillac  stopped  on  this  occasion  for  nearly  a 
week  at  the  farmhouse,  spending  his  days  on  foot, 
examining  the  defences  of  Blois,  that  is  to  say, 
the  defences  so  far  as  the  south  was  concerned,  for 
the  bridge  was  too  well  guarded  to  afford  access 
to  the  town,  and  the  late  rain  had  filled  the  Loire 
from  bank  to  bank,  transforming  the  river  into  a 
raging,  muddy  torrent,  which  he  found  impossible 
to  cross  with  such  craft  as  was  drawn  up  along  its 
southern  shore. 

He  waited  a  week  for  the  river  to  subside,  but 
there  was  no  diminution  of  the  flood,  so,  baffled 

323 


324;  CARDILLAC 

in  his  numerous  attempts  to  enter  Blois,  he  got 
upon  his  horse  and  rode  back  to  Montrichard,  and 
to  the  comparative  luxury  of  the  Tete  Noire, 
whose  table  far  excelled  that  of  the  manor  farm. 

At  Montrichard  a  disagreeable  surprise  awaited 
him.  The  fat  and  friendly  landlord  of  the  inn 
drew  him  aside  and  said: 

"  The  abbe  of  Ligny  is  still  here,  monsieur. 
The  other  two  returned  to  Loches  the  next  morn- 
ing. All  three  seemed  at  a  loss  when  they  found 
you  had  ridden  away,  and  they  questioned  me 
shrewdly,  trying  to  learn  what  had  become  of  you. 
When  they  discovered  I  did  not  know,  or  would 
not  tell,  they  held  consultation  together.  The 
polite  abbe  then  announced  to  me  that  his  journey 
was  in  reality  a  pilgrimage  to  the  shrine  of  Our 
Lady  of  Nanteuil,  whom  he  wished  to  supplicate 
on  behalf  of  the  imprisoned  Queen.  The  abbe  is 
a  most  kindly,  courteous  gentleman,  and  he  speaks 
highly  in  praise  of  the  Tete  Noire.  Its  cuisine, 
he  says,  excels  that  of  any  place  of  entertainment 
in  Loches." 

'  Yes,  yes !  "  broke  in  Cardillac,  with  some  im- 
patience. "  We  all  know  your  excellence  as  a 
landlord.  Did  the  abbe  say  when  he  intended  re- 
turning to  Loches  ?  " 

"  I  believe  he  will  continue  to  supplicate  Notre 
Dame  de  Nanteuil  until  such  time  as  the  Queen  is 
released." 


AN    INTRIGUING    VIS-A-VIS          325 

"Good  heavens!  is  the  case  so  serious  as  that? 
Then  we  may  be  honoured  by  his  presence  for 
some  time  yet?  " 

"  I  hope  so,  Monsieur  de  Cardillac,  for  he  is  an 
estimable  gentleman,  and  an  amiable  judge  of 
good  cooking  and  sound  wine." 

Cardillac  turned  away,  trebly  depressed,  by  the 
presence  of  the  abbe,  by  the  present  impossibility 
of  entering  Blois,  and  therefore  by  the  fact  that 
he  could  not  win  a  glimpse  of  his  lady  in  the 
chateau. 

As  he  walked  despondently  through  the  town, 
he  met  friend  after  friend,  who  greeted  him  cheer- 
ily. From  each  one  he  learned  that  the  good  abbe 
had  been  asking  questions,  and  had  shown  much 
interest  in  the  silk  industry,  and  seemed  particu- 
larly pleased  when  he  induced  people  to  talk  of 
that  gallant  young  man,  Cardillac,  for  whom  he 
professed  much  liking  and  friendship. 

Disquieted  by  the  fact  that  the  abbe  was  spying 
on  him,  Cardillac  walked  to  the  middle  of  the 
bridge,  leaned  over  the  parapet,  where,  he  was 
alone,  and  looked  down  upon  the  swirling,  swollen 
Cher.  What  was  he  to  do  with  this  meddlesome 
prelate,  whose  activity  even  a  proclamation  from 
the  Queen  was  unable  to  subdue?  Cardillac 
wrestled  with  the  problem,  made  up  his  mind,  then 
sought  one  of  his  friends,  a  tailor  of  lowering 
brow  and  massive  jaw. 


326  CARDILLAC 

That  night  at  dinner  Cardillac  found  opposite 
him  the  beaming  and  benevolent  face  of  the  Abbe 
Rucellai,  a  face  whose  benign  expression  was  be- 
lied by  the  crafty  smile  and  the  shifty  eyes.  Car- 
dillac greeted  him  with  the  utmost  good  humour. 

"  I  heard  from  the  landlord  that  you  proposed 
stopping  with  us  for  some  time." 

"Ah,  yes,"  replied  the  abbe.  "I  have  re- 
mained to  implore  the  intercession  of  Our  Lady 
of  Nanteuil,  who,  you  may  remember,  was  a  great 
favourite  of  Louis  XL" 

"  The  saint  seems  inclined  towards  those  whose 
methods  are  subtle,"  commented  Cardillac. 

"True.  Louis  was  indirect  but  often  success- 
ful, and  I  thought  that  in  dealing  with  enemies  so 
cunning  as  those  confronting  us,  Our  Lady's  help 
would  be  invaluable." 

"  I  think  you  are  in  the  right,  abbe,  and  I  am 
further  persuaded  that  if  the  church  attends 
strictly  to  the  offering  of  prayer,  leaving  to  the 
strong  arm  of  the  laity  the  efficiency  of  the  sword, 
the  cause  favoured  by  such  a  combination  must 
prove  irresistible." 

"  But  the  laity  should  accept  spiritual  guidance, 
Monsieur  de  Cardillac." 

"  But  certainly,  monsieur,  although  not  in  mili- 
tary matters.  The  archbishop  should  supplicate, 
but  let  the  general  smite,  without  the  archbishop 
dictating  his  ideas  on  warfare  to  the  general,  or 


AN    INTRIGUING    VIS-A-VIS          327 

the  general  allowing  his  private  doctrine  to  miti- 
gate the  potency  of  the  archbishop's  petitions.  I 
am  for  a  separation  of  church  and  state  when  it 
comes  to  blows." 

"  I  thoroughly  agree  with  you,  Monsieur  de 
Cardillac.  Still,  there  are  affairs  in  life  where  a 
little  advice  may  prove  of  the  utmost  service.  Let 
me  cite,  for  instance,  your  own  undertaking.  That 
is  not  an  engagement  in  which  blows  are  struck." 

"It  may  come  to  blows  as  a  last  resort,  abbe." 

"  In  that  case,  then,  you  are  defeated,  Monsieur 
de  Cardillac,  because  you  are  one  man,  and  your 
enemies  in  Blois  are -fifteen  thousand." 

"  Fifteen  thousand  enemies  are  there  now,  but 
»only  ten  thousand  garrisoned  Blois  when  I  under- 
took this  task.  I  owe  the  extra  five  thousand  to 
the  advice  you  have  given  the  Duke  d'Epernon 
and  his  son." 

The  abbe  smiled  graciously,  as  one  who  has 
heard  an  offensive  thing  said,  but  is  resolved  to 
take  no  offense. 

:'  You  have  just  returned  from  Blois,  perhaps?  " 

"  Yes,  and  for  a  week  I  have  been  trying  in- 
effectually to  enter  the  town." 

"  Now  in  that  case  I  could  be  of  some 
assistance.  I  know  a  man  thoroughly  to  be 
trusted " 

Cardillac  interrupted  by  holding  up  his  hand. 

"  Heaven  preserve  me,"  he  cried,  "  from  the 


328  CARDILLAC 

man  thoroughly  to  be  trusted.  It  is  such  as  he 
that  baffle  all  plots,  bringing  men's  necks  to  the 
axe." 

"Ah,  the  impatience  of  youth,"  murmured  the 
abbe  forgivingly,  shaking  his  head.  'You  do 
not  even  ask  me  to  tell  you  his  name,  residence  and 
quality,  and  so  ignorantly  put  aside  an  assistant 
of  great  importance.  He  dwells  on  the  environs 
of  Blois,  and  he " 

"  Spare  me  further  particulars,  abbe.  I  do  not 
wish  to  know  anything  about  the  man,  as  there  is 
no  office  in  my  gift  which  he  could  fill." 

The  abbe  bent  ingratiatingly  across  the  table. 

"  Monsieur  de  Cardillac,"  he  said,  "  it  is  im- 
possible that  one  man  should  bring  about  the  lib- 
eration of  the  Queen." 

'  Then,  abbe,  why  trouble  further  about  an  un- 
important person  like  myself,  who  is  doomed  to 
failure?" 

"  Because,  Monsieur  de  Cardillac,  I  am  desirous 
you  should  succeed." 

'  That  cannot  be  the  real  reason,  abbe." 

"  Why  not,  when  you  see  how  anxious  I  am  to 
link  myself,  even  remotely,  with  your  success  ?  " 

To  this  the  young  man  made  no  reply,  but  went 
on  silently  with  his  meal,  the  abbe's  eager  eyes 
scrutinising  him  the  while.  At  last  Rucellai  con- 
tinued, with  a  bluff  assumption  of  candour: 

"  You  are  so  modest  a  man,   Cardillac,  that 


AN    INTRIGUING    VIS-A-VIS          329 

you  may  not  credit  your  influence  with  the  great. 
There  is  the  Duke  de  Montreuil,  for  instance,  who 
swears  by  you,  for  you  did  him  a  great  favour,  and 
I  assure  you  he  appreciates  it.  There  again  is  his 
highness,  the  Duke  d'Epernon,  who  at  first  was 
prejudiced  against  you,  but  having  had  the  ad- 
vantage of  making  your  acquaintance,  is  now  as 
warm  an  admirer  as  the  Duke  de  Montreuil  him- 
self. I  may  say  the  same  of  his  son,  the  arch- 
bishop of  Toulouse.  You  greatly  impressed  him 
that  evening  we  first  met  you. 

"  Monsieur,  is  it  not  natural  that  a  politic  per- 
son like  myself  should  wish  to  ingratiate  himself 
with  one  who  exerts  such  influence  with  the  great? 
You  will  call  me  selfish,  perhaps,  and  so  I  am. 
The  Duke  d'Epernon  proposed  that  you  should  be 
my  assistant.  Let  me,  now  that  I  know  and  ap- 
preciate you  better,  make  a  less  ambitious  sug- 
gestion, which  is  that  I  shall  be  your  helper." 

"  I  thought  I  had  made  it  perfectly  plain,  abbe, 
that  I  required  no  colleague?" 

"  But  the  very  fact  that  you  spent  a  week  en- 
deavouring to  enter  Blois  shows  that  you  need  aid, 
and  need  it  badly." 

"  Very  well,  I  accept.  Cause,  then,  the  river 
Loire  to  subside  until  it  reaches  its  summer  level, 
and  thus  I  may  enter  Blois  from  the  north. 
Petition  Our  Lady  of  Nanteuil  for  an  abatement 
of  the  flood,  or,  like  Moses,  divide  the  waters,  and 


330  CARDILLAC 

I'll  walk  as  dry-shod  into  Blois  as  if  I  were  a  son 
of  Israel." 

"  I  regret  to  observe,  my  dear  Cardillac — and 
I  am  sure  you  will  pardon  the  reproof  from  a  man 
in  holy  orders  who  is  so  much  older  than  yourself 
— as  I  was  about  to  say,  there  is  a  taint  of  scoffing 
in  your  language,  and  a  dangerous  approach  to  the 
line  of  blasphemy." 

"  I  am  sorry  you  think  so,  abbe.  I  was  merely 
trying  to  show  that  my  difficulty  cannot  be  over- 
come by  human  agency  at  the  present  moment." 

"Will  you  not  disclose  your  plans  to  me,  and 
listen  at  least  to  my  comment  upon  them  ?  " 

"  Did  you  not  discover  my  plans  during  the  en- 
quiries you  made  in  the  village?" 

The  abbe  laughed  with  happy  geniality. 

"  Oh,  I  merely  wished  to  learn  all  I  could  about 
you.  You  interest  me,  Monsieur  de  Cardillac,  as 
you  interest  the  Duke  d'Epernon  and  his  son;  as, 
indeed,  you  interest  the  Duke  de  Montreuil.  I  do 
not  wonder  you  refused  to  disclose  your  scheme  to 
three  persons,  but  you  can  give  me  the  particulars 
in  the  assurance  that  they  will  be  held  strictly  con- 
fidential, and  from  the  fact  that  my  own  plans 
have  hitherto  failed,  I  think  it  likely  I  may  be 
able  to  point  out  some  fatal  flaw  which  you  may 
remedy  while  there  is  yet  time." 


CHAPTER   XXXII 

THE    PRICE    OF   A    SECRET 

CARDILLAC  leaned  back,  and  looked 
steadily  at  his  intriguing  vis-a-vis  with 
eyes  that  saw  him  not.  He  was  arguing 
away  the  last  doubt  that  remained  in  his  mind. 
Drawing  a  deep  sigh,  he  said  wearily: 

"  Very  well ;  have  it  as  you  wish.  A  deter- 
mined man  may  get  anything  he  wants  in  this 
world  if  he  is  willing  to  pay  the  price." 

"The  price?    What  price?" 

"Why,  in  your  case,  abbe,  the  price  of  silence, 
which  you  have  promised." 

"Ah,  that  price  I  will  cheerfully  pay.  I  hope 
you  now  accept  my  word  that  I  shall  mention  to 
no  one  what  you  may  be  good  enough  to  tell  me." 

"  Most  certainly :  I  am  sure  you  will  keep  si- 
lence till  all  need  of  silence  is  ended." 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  faith,  Monsieur  de  Car- 
dillac." 

"  Then,  abbe,  excuse  my  absence  for  a  few 
minutes." 

The  young  man  arose  and  went  to  his  own 
room.  When  he  returned  he  wore  another  doub- 

331 


332  CARDILLAC 

let,  and  held  something  in  his  hand  which  he 
poured  out  on  the  table  before  the  abbe. 

"  There,"  he  said,  "  you  have  before  you  the 
whole  secret." 

The  abbe's  insidious  eyes  narrowed  as  he  exam- 
ined the  materials  Cardiilac  had  brought.  Re- 
flectively he  stirred  the  little  pile  with  his  finger, 
anc  took  from  it  a  piece  of  string. 

u  This,"  he  said,  "  seems  to  be  a  parcel  of  sand, 
and  the  other  a  bit  of  silk  cord." 

"Exactly." 

"  I  do  not  fathom  your  meaning,"  protested  the 
abbe,  looking  up. 

"You  astonish  me.  I  thought  that  one  so  art- 
ful would  meet  no  difficulty — given  these  materials 
— in  reconstructing  the  whole  situation.  I  hoped 
this  handful  would  elucidate  the  position,  and  thus 
save  the  necessity  for  further  words,  because  we 
are  here,  in  a  public  dining-room,  where  it  is 
dangerous  to  speak  about  secrets,  even  though  no 
listeners  be  visible.  I  may  help  you  by  saying  that 
this  heap  looks  like  sand,  but  is  not,  whereas  the 
cord  looks  like  silk,  and  is  silk." 

The  abbe  sighed  plaintively. 

"  After  all,  I  seem  to  have  had  greater  faith  in 
your  word  than  you  show  in  mine.  I  thought  you 
spoke  truth  when  you  said  you  would  tell  me  what 
I  wished  to  know,  instead  of  which,  you  propound 
a  riddle  that  I  cannot  solve." 


THE    PRICE    OF   A    SECRET          333 

"You  mistake  me,  abbe.  I  merely  overesti- 
mated your  powers  of  divination.  Of  course,  I 
am  quite  willing  to  present  you  with  the  most  mi^ 
nute  details,  and  repeat  them  and  explain  them 
until  you  understand,  but,  as  I  said,  that  cannot  be 
done  in  a  public  room." 

"Then,  monsieur,  take  me  to  your  own  apart- 
ment." 

"  Its  walls  are  no  more  sound-proof  than  these. 
We  must  retire  to  one  of  the  chalk  dwellings, 
where,  when  the  door  is  shut,  we  need  fear  no  lis- 
tener. As  an  additional  precaution,  I  will  take 
you  to  the  cliff-dwelling  of  a  friend  who,  I  think, 
already  suspects  my  secret,  for  he  has  been  one  of 
my  assistants.  Even  should  he  overhear  it  will  be 
no  matter,  because  he  cannot  write,  and  was  born 
dumb." 

The  abbe  laughed. 

"  For  a  young  man  you  are  the  most  cautious 
I  have  ever  met.  If  you  lead,  I  will  follow." 

Cardillac  conducted  the  abbe  by  an  underground 
passage  to  one  of  the  cliff-dwellings,  and  there  they 
found  a  room  already  prepared  for  them,  rather 
cosily  furnished,  with  a  very  comfortable  arm- 
chair in  which  the  abbe  was  invited  to  seat  him- 
self. The  white  walls  were  illuminated  by  a  lamp. 

"When  I  returned  to  my  room,"  began  Car- 
dillac, "I  put  on  a  new  coat,  and  a  new  pair  of 
boots." 


334  CARDILLAC 

As  he  spoke,  he  raised  his  foot,  and  exhibited 
the  sole.  Let  into  the  bottom  of  the  boot  was  a 
rod  of  iron,  which,  bent  at  two  angles,  formed  one 
long  side  and  two  ends  of  a  parallelogram.  At 
one  end  the  rod  of  iron  had  been  formed  into  a 
loop. 

"  This  metal  work,"  continued  Cardillac,  "  was 
fashioned  by  the  blacksmith  of  Montrichard  after 
a  design  of  my  own,  which  design  I  drew  from 
measurements  taken  by  the  lady-in-waiting  to  the 
Queen,  who  is  my  only  colleague  in  this  venture." 

"Until  now,  my  dear  Cardillac,  until  now,"  in- 
terpolated the  abbe,  rubbing  his  hands  together. 

"Yes,  until  now.  These  measurements  were 
taken  from  the  window-sill  of  the  last  room  to  the 
west,  on  the  first  floor  of  the  chateau  at  Blois. 
The  room  in  question  was  once  the  library  of 
Catherine  de  Medicis,  and  opens  upon  the  balcony 
that  runs  round  the  Tour  du  Moulin. 

'  You  will  notice,  abbe,  that  there  is  one  of 
these  irons  in  the  sole  of  each  boot,  so  that  if,  on 
entering  Blois,  I  happen  to  be  searched,  there  is 
a  chance  that  these  devices  may  not  be  discovered, 
but  if  discovered  I  would  explain  that  they  were 
put  in  to  save  the  soles  of  my  boots. 

"  Now,  abbe,  I  shall  take  off  my  doublet,  and 
will  call  your  attention  to  the  inside  of  it.  What 
do  you  think  of  its  lining,  and  the  decorative  effect 
thereof?" 


THE    PRICE    OF  A    SECRET         335 

"  It  is  really  very  attractive,"  complimented  the 
abbe.  "  It  seems  to  be  lined  with  silk  cordage, 
which  makes  the  jacket  at  once  both  warm  and 
ornamental." 

"It  is  everything  you  say,"  responded  Car- 
dillac,  "  and  the  silk  cordage  is  the  work  of  our 
local  spinners,  while  the  lining  has  been  put  in  by 
our  tailor,  who  is  the  dumb  man  that  inhabits  this 
rock  cavern.  But  look  you,  by  cutting  this  piece 
of  thread,  the  cord  comes  bit  by  bit  completely 
away,  as  you  see." 

Cardillac's  right  hand  stretched  out,  pulling 
with  it  the  cordage.  The  delighted  abbe  gave  a 
cry  of  admiration. 

"Why,"  he  said,  "'tis  a  rope  ladder  like  a 
spider's  web." 

"An  excellent  simile,  abbe.  It  resembles  the 
spider's  web  of  the  fairy  tale,  delicate  as  gossamer 
and  strong  as  steel.  This  ladder  will  bear  up 
three  men  at  one  time,  although  it  looks  so  flimsy. 
I  have  tested  it,  and  therefore  know  what  its 
capabilities  are.  Now,  having  unravelled  it  for 
your  benefit,  I  must  order  it  sewn  up  again." 

Cardillac  opened  the  door  and  shouted.  The 
dumb  tailor  appeared,  took  the  doublet  and  his  in- 
structions, and  disappeared. 

"  A  sinister-looking  man,  that,"  said  the  abbe. 

1  Yes,  but  an  excellent  tailor.  And  now,  abbe, 
you  perhaps  observe  that  the  sand,  as  you  call  it, 


336  CARDILLAC 

is  of  the  same  colour  as  that  rope  ladder.  The 
powder  represents  scrapings  from  the  stone  front, 
facing  north,  of  the  chateau  at  Blois.  My  lady- 
in-waiting  lets  down  a  cord ;  I  attach  to  it  the  two 
iron  instruments  I  have  taken  from  my  boots;  I 
unravel  the  silk  ladder  which  I  take  from  the  in- 
side of  my  doublet,  that  also  having  escaped  ob- 
servation during  the  search,  and  this  rope  ladder 
I  have  first  attached  to  the  two  cleats  of  iron. 
The  lady-in-waiting  fastens  the  iron  upon  the  win- 
dow-sill, letting  down  the  silk  ladder,  then  I  run 
up  to  her  window,  and  enter  the  chateau." 

"  But,  monsieur,  surely  you  never  expect  the 
Queen  to  come  down  such  an  aerial  ladder  as 
that?" 

"  If  Her  Majesty  cares  to  entrust  herself  to  me, 
I  will  carry  her,  but  I  think  I  shall  have  no  diffi- 
culty in  persuading  her  to  make  the  descent  alone. 
In  any  case,  should  I  fail  in  the  first  attempt,  the 
silk  ladder  may  remain  there  all  next  day,  and  no 
one  in  the  street  will  detect  it,  for  it  is  the  exact 
colour  of  the  stone  wall.  Our  dyers  here  in 
Montrichard  are  equally  as  skilful  as  those  of 
Tyre." 

"  But  Her  Majesty  is  forty-five  years  old,  and 
very  stout,  as  is  the  habit  of  our  Italian  women 
when  they  reach  that  age." 

"  Nevertheless,  abbe,  I  shall  have  her  out  of 
Blois  were  she  double  the  age  and  twice  the  stout- 


THE    PRICE    OF   A    SECRET          337 


ness.     And  now,  reverend  father,   are  there 
further  questions  you  wish  to  ask?" 

"  Suppose  you  succeed  in  getting  Her  Majesty 
safely  to  the  street,  how  are  you  to  leave  Blois?  " 

"  I  anticipate  that  in  a  month  or  two  the  rigour 
of  her  captivity  will  be  relaxed.  I  understand  that 
before  you  began  your  own  arrangements  for  her 
release,  the  bridge  over  the  Loire  was  not  guarded, 
neither  did  a  cordon  of  soldiers  encircle  the  town. 
As  time  passes,  these  precautions  will  cease,  one 
after  another.  Blois  will  resume  its  activity  and 
its  communication  with  the  surrounding  country, 
a  condition  much  desired  by  every  inhabitant. 
Luynes  will  not  hold  the  tight  rein  longer  than 
is  needful,  for  he  does  not  wish  to  turn  the  town 
against  him,  and  there  has  already  been  much 
grumbling  because  of  the  state  of  siege." 

"Then  you  mean  to  rest  here  for  weeks?  " 

"There  is  nothing  else  to  do,  venerable  abbe. 
The  moment  the  tailor  gets  my  jacket  sewn  up 
again  -  " 

"  Oh,  I  could  never  consent  to  such  placid  in- 
activity." 

"  I  regret  to  differ  with  you,  abbe,  but  I  shall 
not  permit  myself  to  be  hurried  by  anyone." 

"  You  shall  be  hurried  by  the  Duke  d'Epernon 
the  moment  he  hears  from  me,  unless  you  consent 
to  accept  my  advice.  Such  a  delay  is  unthink- 
able." 


338  CARDILLAC 

"You  forget,  abbe,  that  you  promised  to  com- 
municate to  no  one  what  I  divulged." 

"  I  shall  not  tell  what  you  have  said,  but  I 
shall  urge  the  duke  to  spur  you  on. " 

"  I  see.  Well,  it  doesn't  matter.  Abbe,  you 
will  find  yourself  quite  comfortable  here.  I  have 
given  orders  that  you  will  be  waited  upon  with  the 
utmost  courtesy,  for  the  tailor,  who  is  unmarried, 
and  attends  to  his  own  housework,  his  trade  not 
being  very  brisk,  is  an  excellent  manager,  in  spite 
of  his  forbidding  face.  He  is  as  gentle  as  a  lamb, 
unless  aroused  by  opposition  to  his  wishes.  If 
you  attempt  to  bribe  him,  he  is  likely  to  knock  you 
down,  but  during  good  behaviour  you  will  be  quite 
unmolested." 

"  Do  you  dare  thus,  without  warrant,  to  im- 
prison a  friend  of  the  Duke  d'Epernon,  com- 
mander of  the  Queen's  forces,  and  the  colleague 
of  his  son,  the  archbishop  of  Toulouse?  " 

"  Well,  if  I  dare  to  enter  Blois,  with  its  fifteen 
thousand  men,  where  there  is  a  price  set  on  my 
head,  it  is  not  likely  I  shall  be  frightened  by  two, 
or  three,  counting  yourself.  Besides,  abbe,  a  bar- 
gain is  a  bargain.  I  told  you  the  price  of  my  se- 
cret was  silence.  I  have  given  you  my  secret,  and 
I  must  secure  the  price.  I  will  release  you  two 
days  before  the  attempt  is  made  to  release  the 
Queen.  Meanwhile,  your  blessing,  reverend 
father,  and  so  good-night." 


CHAPTER   XXXIII 
SAINT  VALENTINE'S  NIGHT 

THE  day  of  blessed  Saint  Valentine,  fav- 
ourable to  all  true  lovers,  in  the  year  of 
our  Lord    1618    broke   fair   and   clear; 
warmer  than  one  has  a  right  to  expect  in  Febru- 
ary, representing  thus    the  passion  the  day  com- 
memorates. 

Cardillac,  in  high  spirits,  found  the  bridge  un- 
guarded, and  entered  Blois  without  being  even 
challenged. 

The  continued  protests  of  the  citizens  had  been 
listened  to  in  Paris.  They  had  implored  Luynes 
either  to  remove  the  Queen  to  some  fortress  in  the 
country,  or  else  confine  the  guards  to  the  palace 
itself,  and  leave  the  town  to  its  former  state  of 
unrestricted  freedom. 

Like  all  other  human  actions,  the  numerous  con- 
spiracies of  Rucellai  produced  two  opposite  effects. 
Only  one  of  these  effects  had  been  visible  to  Car- 
dillac, and  he  naturally  supposed  that  this  was  the 
net  result  of  the  abbe's  futile  endeavours.  That 
prelate  had  sealed  up  Blois  so  far  as  he  was  con- 
cerned, baffling  him  in  his  attempts  to  enter  the 
town.  But  the  other  effect  of  the  Italian's  plots 

339 


340  CARDILLAC 

was  to  give  the  King's  officers  undue  confidence. 
They  came  to  believe  that  the  palace-prison  of 
Blois  was  impregnable,  and  so  grew  careless. 
Blois  had  long  been  a  favourite  residence  of  the 
Court,  and  the  town  contained  many  facilities  for 
the  dispersion  of  ennui.  There  were  theatres, 
concert  halls,  circuses,  balls,  parties,  entertain- 
ments of  all  sorts,  and  excellent  restaurants  with 
a  cuisine  which  rivalled  that  of  Paris. 

The  people  of  Blois  were  familiar  with  Court 
life,  and  knew  the  high  officials  on  whom  pressure 
might  be  brought  to  bear  for  the  amelioration 
of  the  disabilities  under  which  their  town  suf- 
fered. The  consequence  was  that  the  shrewd 
Luynes,  holder  of  power  and  craver  of  popular- 
ity, saw  that  two  courses  were  open  to  him.  First, 
to  keep  the  town  sealed  up,  with  business  dead, 
discontent  seething,  and  a  net  result  of  hatred 
against  himself,  with  local  revolt  against  his  gov- 
ernment; or,  second,  to  throw  the  town  wide 
open,  and  concentrate  his  watch  on  the  castle 
alone. 

The  mere  presence  of  the  garrison  was  enough 
to  secure  the  prosperity  of  Blois,  thus  he  would 
make  every  man  within  it  his  friend,  and  further, 
every  man  would  become  an  amateur  jailor,  for 
they  all  recognised  the  advantage  of  the  Queen's 
residence  there,  should  the  town  be  allowed  to 
benefit  from  it. 


SAINT    VALENTINE'S    NIGHT        341 

Luynes,  as  always,  was  prompt  to  act,  and 
in  a  manner  that  brought  good  will  to  himself. 
Orders  were  hurried  down  to  Blois  that  all  av- 
enues leading  to  the  town  should  be  cleared  of 
their  guard,  and  all  questioning,  challenging,  ex- 
amining of  travellers  stopped.  Officers  were  com- 
manded  to  concentrate  their  attention  solely  on 
the  chateau.  The  courtyard  was  to  be  closed  to 
strangers,  and  no  citizens  were  allowed  within 
its  precincts,  but  outside  these  limits  the  town 
became  free. 

Most  of  the  officers  regretted  Paris,  but  made 
the  best  of  their  opportunities  at  Blois.  The  rich 
citizens  of  this  wealthy  town  threw  open  their 
homes  to  the  gay,  pleasure-loving  officers  of  the 
army,  and  every  night  brought  its  dinners  and 
its  dances.  A  stranger  to  the  political  situation 
would  never  have  imagined  that  within  sound 
of  the  sensuous  music  a  Queen  of  France  lay  im- 
prisoned. 

Into  this  thronged  city,  devoted  to  Euterpe,  to 
Orpheus,  to  Terpsichore,  and  to  Bacchus,  entered 
Cardillac,  on  this  day  of  Venus.  All  his  careful 
precautions  against  the  discovery  of  his  rope  lad- 
der were  rendered  unnecessary  by  the  relaxed  dis- 
cipline of  the  town.  Crossing  the  bridge,  he  made 
his  way  up  the  busy  main  street  which,  bending 
to  the  left,  brought  him  to  the  imposing  north 
facade  of  the  castle,  which  at  that  time  fronted 


342  CARDILLAC 

open  country,  and  therefore  his  actions  were  in 
no  danger  of  being  overlooked. 

All  he  had  to  fear  was  the  observation  of  some 
casual  passer-by,  of  which  there  was  little  chance, 
as  the  upper  classes  frequented  the  main  street, 
and  the  soldiery  promenaded  along  the  river-front. 
Yet  Cardillac  proceeded  with  as  much  caution  as 
if  carrying  out  his  plans  on  the  busy  thorough- 
fare. 

The  sun  set  on  the  fourteenth  of  February  a 
few  minutes  after  five  o'clock,  and  the  winter  twi- 
light of  Touraine  came  to  an  end  about  six.  Car- 
dillac's  divinity  appeared  on  the  balcony  shortly 
after  four  o'clock,  her  dark  head  bare,  and  her 
slender  form  enveloped  in  a  robe  of  sable  fur, 
giving  the  young  girl  a  regal  dignity  that  was 
new  to  Cardillac. 

He  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  street,  struck 
silent  with  adimration.  Therese  recognised  him 
at  once,  and  wafted  him  a  kiss  from  her  finger 
tips.  She  leaned  on  the  balustrade,  her  arms,  con- 
cealed in  the  ample  robe,  resting  on  the  stone. 
Although  her  voice  was  scarcely  above  a  whisper, 
the  clear,  still  air  carried  it  to  him,  and  delighted 
him  with  its  music. 

"  Come  closer  to  the  wall,"  she  said.  "  I  think 
we  can  speak  without  being  overheard." 

Promptly  he  obeyed  her. 

"What  time  do  you  dine?"  he  asked. 


SAINT   VALENTINE'S    NIGHT        343 

"At  half-past  seven." 

"  Can  you  get  leave  of  absence?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  a  headache  will  secure  that." 

"  I  hope  your  head  suffers  no  such  disadvan- 
tage." 

The  girl  laughed. 

"  I  admit  that  at  present  it  does  not,  but  it  is 
a  most  serviceable  head,  and  at  any  hour  you 
name  the  torment  shall  begin." 

"  Let  us  say  seven  o'clock,  then.  By  the  way, 
where  is  your  own  room  in  the  chateau?  " 

"  Ah,  that  shows  the  clearness  of  my  head,  Vic- 
tor. I  have  been  enacting  the  selfish  monopolist, 
securing  for  my  sole  use  the  library  of  Catherine 
de  Medicis,  which  adjoins  the  balcony.  Thus, 
when  I  bolt  my  door,  I  may  appear  in  this  gal- 
lery without  fear  of  interruption.  But  I  would 
not  have  you  think  me  too  selfish,  either:  the 
room  is  one  of  the  smallest  in  the  suite,  in  spite 
of  the  fact  that  it  was  a  library.  I  fear  me  Cath- 
erine's literary  tastes  were  limited." 

"Why,  that  is  an  excellent  arrangement.  Very 
well ;  at  seven  throw  down  your  cord,  and  then  you 
may  pull  up  the  rope  ladder,  whose  stanchions  I 
hope  you  will  be  able  to  fasten  on  the  window- 
sill.  I  intend  to  climb  up  there,  unless  the  strength 
of  my  silk  cordage " 

"  Oh,  really !  I  think  you  should  ask  my  per- 
mission first.  Do  you  imagine,  monsieur,  that  if 


344  CARDILLAC 

I  do  not  allow  a  lady  to  enter  by  the  door,  I  am 
likely  to  permit  a  gentleman  to  cross  my  window- 
sill?  For  all  my  lady-errant  escapades,  I  still 
hold  the  proprieties  in  respect." 

"  I  shall  treat  your  window-sill,  mademoiselle, 
with  the  utmost  deference  and  courtesy,  but  it 
does  seem  to  me  that  a  girl  whom  I  sent  twirling 
down  a  rope  from  the  highest  convent  window 
has  grown  very  circumspect  since  her  residence 
in  Blois." 

"  You  never  twirled  me  down  a  rope,  Victor 
de  Cardillac.  You  are  thinking  of  a  certain  Marie 
Duchamps,  for  whom  you  professed  the  greatest 
contempt  because  her  position  in  the  social  scale 
was  so  much  lower  than  your  own.  Your  asso- 
ciation with  the  servile,  monsieur,  unfits  you  for 
the  society  of  a  high-born  lady  like  myself." 

"  Then,  mademoiselle,  I  wish  to  amend  that 
defect  by  further  acquaintance  with  the  high- 
born, so  at  seven  o'clock,  always  with  your  per- 
mission, I  shall  ascend  the  social  ladder,  which 
in  this  instance  is  made  of  silk." 

"  I  shall  be  enraptured  to  begin  my  lessons  in 
etiquette  for  your  benefit  at  seven  o'clock,  if  the 
rope  ladder  doesn't  break,  but  always  with  the 
window-sill  between  us." 

"  Put  no  dependence  on  the  window-sill, 
Therese.  It  is  more  fragile  as  a  protector  than 
my  silk  rope.  I  intend  to  carry  you  in  my  arms 


SAINT   VALENTINE'S    NIGHT        345 

down  the  ladder,  with  or  without  your  permis- 
sion, and  take  you  out  to  dinner." 

"Oh,  madness!  That  is  utterly  impossible, 
Victor!" 

Her  ejaculation  was  interrupted  by  a  deep  sigh, 
which  he  heard  from  above.  Then  she  went  on 
again : 

"But  if  it  were  possible,  how  entrancing!  I 
have  not  felt  the  solid  earth  beneath  my  feet  for 
more  than  six  months,  and  my  daily  walks  have 
been  round  this  circumscribed  tower.  Well,  Vic- 
tor, you  will  come  up,  and  we  will  discuss  it." 

"  Yes,  Therese,  we  will  discuss  it  for  the  length 
of  time  it  takes  to  get  my  arms  round  you." 

There  was  little  trace  of  fear  in  mademoiselle's 
laugh. 

'  You  must  go  now,"  she  said,  "  and  not  risk 
detection  down  there  by  talking  impossibilities  up 
a  stone  wall.  A  sept  heures,  monsieur." 

" A  sept  heures,  Marie" 

Cardillac  departed,  and  made  his  way  to  that 
splendid  restaurant,  the  Pavilion  Henri  IV,  in 
the  middle  of  the  town.  Here  he  reserved  a  table 
for  two,  to  be  occupied  at  half-past  seven  or  there- 
abouts, and  he  spent  half  an  hour  with  the  urbane 
proprietor  over  one  of  the  most  important  affairs 
in  life,  the  judicious  placing  together  of  a  menu 
that  contained  some  excellent  examples  of  the 
good  living  from  Normandy,  a  number  of  the 


346  CARDILLAC 

choicest  delicacies  of  Gascony,  united  by  a  few  of 
the  delicious  dishes  that  Touraine  affords.  Then 
some  golden  moments  were  devoted  to  the  selec- 
tion of  the  wines. 

Making  his  way  thence  to  the  most  fashionable 
tailor  in  Blois,  where,  two  weeks  before,  he  had 
left  an  order,  he  found  himself  fitted  with  a  mag- 
nificent cloak,  and  left  the  costumier  with  a  swag- 
ger that  Blois  had  rarely  seen  equalled,  even  in 
its  most  palmy  days,  when  the  Court  elegants 
from  Paris  ruffled  it  through  the  streets. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

DINNER     SURROUNDED    BY    THE    FOE 

A  LITTLE  before  seven,  Cardillac  flung 
his  minor  ladder  to  the  top  coping  of 
the  terrace,  and  the  iron  cleat  catching, 
he  made  his  way  to  the  foot  of  the  wall.  As  the 
bells  of  the  chateau  were  chiming  the  hour,  he 
heard  the  window  of  the  little  room  above  him 
open,  and  coils  of  a  cord  fell  at  his  feet.  A 
minute  sufficed  to  tie  it  to  the  bent  iron,  Cardillac 
having  previously  fastened  the  rope  ladder 
thereto.  The  bundle  ascended  out  of  his  sight, 
and  a  moment  later  the  loose  end  of  the  ladder 
came  fluttering  down. 

"These  irons  fit  exactly,"  came  the  voice  from 
above,  and  Cardillac  ran  up  this  aerial  Jacob's 
ladder  with  the  agility  of  a  cat. 

"Oh,"  cried  Therese,  taken  by  surprise,  and 
then :  "  Be  careful,  be  careful,  Victor  1< "  she 
pleaded. 

"  Arms  round  my  neck,  please ! "  he  com- 
manded. 

"This  ladder  of  moonbeams  will  never  bear 

347 


348  CARDILLAC 

us,"  she  protested,  but  before  the  sentence  was  fin- 
ished, they  stood  together  on  the  terrace,  and  a 
few  seconds  later  on  the  main  road. 

"Oh,"  she  cried,  "what  an  adventure!  How 
delicious  it  is  to  be  on  the  land  of  France  once 
more  1  " 

It  was  not  so  dark  but  he  could  see  her  dancing 
eyes  and  her  radiant  smile.  He  drew  back  the 
lapels  of  her  rich  fur  cloak,  and  stood  in  amaze- 
ment, admiring  her  magnificent  gown.  - 

"  Goddess  of  dressmakers,  Therese,"  he  ex- 
claimed, "where  did  you  get  so  splendid  a  cos- 
tume? I  thought  all  your  belongings  were  left 
at  the  convent,  and  of  course  you  could  not  have 
obtained  them  since  coming  here." 

"  Well,  Victor,  trust  a  woman  for  that.  Even 
though  we  were  not  allowed  out  of  our  apart- 
ment, the  seamstresses  were  permitted  to  enter, 
I  should  think  from  that  new  cloak  you  wear, 
which  I  cannot  sufficiently  commend,  you  should 
know  that  if  Blois  can  do  so  well  for  men,  it  can 
dress  a  woman  with  equal  advantage.  I  am  glad 
my  own  modest  dress  seems  to  please  you." 

"Please  me?  Therese,  I  am  lost  in  admira- 
tion. I  never  dreamt  of  anything  like  this.  But 
then,  you  are  peerless,  whatever  you  wear." 

This  caused  the  joyous  Therese  to  laugh,  and 
placing  her  small  hand  on  his  arm,  she  accom- 
panied him  into  the  fashionable  portion  of  the 


DINNER  SURROUNDED  BY  THE  FOE     349 

town,  although  she  protested  against  the  danger 
of  their  excursion. 

The  proprietor  of  the  Pavilion  Henri  IV  him- 
self met  them  at  the  door,  and  conducted  them  in 
triumph  to  the  table  reserved.  In  the  gallery 
an  excellent  orchestra  was  playing.  The  proprie- 
tor, like  a  true  artist,  was  proud  of  a  guest  who 
had  ordered  the  best  dinner  his  establishment 
could  provide.  He  greeted  them  audibly  as  Mon- 
sieur and  Madame  Duchamps,  which  covered  Car- 
dillac  with  confusion  but  brought  a  merry  twinkle 
to  the  girl's  eyes. 

Two  splendidly  uniformed  attendants  with 
graceful  courtesy  drew  back  the  sable  cloak  from 
the  gleaming  ivory  shoulders  and  queenly  neck 
of  Mademoiselle  de  Montreuil,  and  she  bestowed 
on  Cardillac  a  friendly  little  smile  in  return  for  the 
look  of  rapt  devotion  that  flashed  into  his  eyes,  as 
the  servant  bore  away  his  own  resplendent  outer 
wrap. 

They  seated  themselves  at  a  table  of  pure 
white,  on  which  glittered  dishes  of  silver.  The 
company  in  which  they  found  themselves  could 
hardly  have  been  excelled  in  Paris  itself,  the  mili- 
tary uniforms  lending  that  dash  of  colour  to  the 
scene  which  only  military  uniforms  can  effect, 
while  the  gowns  of  the  ladies  left  nothing  to  be 
desired. 

When  the  two  entered,  the  murmur  of  conver- 


350  CARDILLAC 

sation,  which  mingled  with  the  music  of  the  band, 
gradually  ceased,  and  all  eyes  were  turned  toward 
the  strangers.  The  careless,  handsome  youth,  and 
the  tall,  slender,  beautiful  girl,  with  eyes  like  dark 
diamonds,  her  midnight  wealth  of  hair  enhanc- 
ing the  snow-white  purity  of  the  face,  relieved 
by  the  healthful  flush  of  youth,  like  the  after- 
glow on  the  pallid  Alps,  formed  an  attractive 
picture  that  called  forth  a  universal  murmur  of 
approbation. 

It  was  to  her,  rather  than  to  him,  that  the  major 
part  of  the  attention  was  turned,  for  she  walked 
down  the  long  room  with  the  grace  and  ease  of 
one  accustomed  to  the  highest  circles,  clothed  in 
a  dignity  and  charm  not  to  be  found  elsewhere. 
The  silence  caused  by  the  cessation  of  conversa- 
tion left  the  air  quivering  with  the  soft  music  from 
the  orchestra,  giving  something  stately  and  cere- 
monial to  their  entrance. 

"Who  are  they?  Who  are  they?"  ran  the 
whisper,  and  the  presence  of  the  proprietor  was 
requisitioned  here  and  there,  and  he,  speaking 
with  hushed  suavity,  actually  succeeded  in  allotting 
them  to  their  proper  provinces  with  nothing  bet- 
ter than  the  menu  to  go  upon. 

"Ah,  she!  A  lady  from  Normandy — of  the 
highest,  I  assure  you;  he,  as  you  can  see,  a  noble 
of  Gascony;  Madame  and  Monsieur  Duchamps 
by  name." 


DINNER  SURROUNDED  BY  THE  FOE     351 

"  Oh,  Victor,"  she  whispered,  for  one  slight 
moment  letting  her  hand  rest  on  his,  "  isn't  our 
environment  unbelievably  enchanting?  I  have 
seen  the  grandest  entertainments  at  the  Louvre, 
but  nothing  has  affected  me  like  the  fairy  palace 
to  which  you  have  brought  me.  Think!  I  have 
been  a  prisoner  for  nearly  a  year,  first  at  the  con- 
vent, then  at  the  chateau;  and  now,  unexpectedly, 
to  come  into  all  this  brightness,  music  and  human 
intercourse, — oh,  I  shall  never  forget  that  selec- 
tion they  are  playing!  And  then — and  then  to 
be "  she  lost  control  of  her  voice  for  the  mo- 
ment, her  eyes  filling  with  unshed  tears — "  to  be," 
she  whispered,  "  with  you !  " 

"  Therese,  Therese,  Therese !  "  he  murmured, 
and  all  the  faith  and  love  that  man  can  feel  toward 
woman  were  breathed  into  the  word  thrice  re- 
peated. But  the  warmth  of  her  smile  quickly 
dried  the  dew  in  her  eyes. 

"  To  think,"  she  said,  "  that  you  and  I  stand 
alone  against  all  this  multitude.  Every  man  and 
woman  here  is  an  enemy  of  ours,  if  they  but 
knew.  Would  it  not  be  delightful,  Victor,  in  this 
hostile  assemblage,  to  make  the  final  arrange- 
ments for  the  Queen's  escape?" 

;'Your  voice  is  low  enough  for  that  fell  pur- 
pose," said  Cardillac,  "  but  I  do  not  trust  my 
own.  Did  you  speak  to  Her  Majesty  of  our  rope 
ladders?" 


CARDILLAC 

"Yes;  she  thinks  such  a  manner  of  exit  is  un- 
dignified." 

"  Undignified !  "  cried  Cardillac,  so  loudly  that 
the  girl  whispered,  "  Hush !  Hush !  "  Then  he 
added  in  a  lower  tone:  "Her  Majesty  should 
be  thankful  I  did  not  expect  her  to  climb  the  in- 
ride  of  the  chimney,  and  so  to  the  roof.  Did  you 
not  tell  her  the  ladders  are  made  of  the  finest 
silk?" 

"  Yes ;  that  somewhat  mollified  her,  but  I  think 
you  must  give  me  a  week  to  win  her  consent." 

"This  is  the  fourteenth;  what  do  you  say  to 
the  twentieth?" 

"  Give  me  till  the  twenty-first,  Victor.  That 
will  be  the  even  seven  days." 

"  Very  well.  I  shall  come  on  the  night  of  the 
twenty-first." 

"  At  what  hour  ?    About  midnight  ?  " 

"  Isn't  that  rather  too  early  for  such  a  royster- 
ing  town  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  Everyone  is  going  home  about 
that  hour,  and  if  once  we  got  her  down  into  the 
town,  it  would  be  safer  with  many  people  around 
us  than  if  we  were  alone  in  the  street. " 

Cardillac  shook  his  head. 

"  Too  great  a  risk !  How  would  one  o'clock 
in  the  morning  do?" 

"The  morning  of  the  twenty-second?" 

"Yes." 


DINNER  SURROUNDED  BY  THE  FOE     353 

"  I  don't  know.  You  are  the  best  judge,  and 
as  the  responsibility  rests  on  your  shoulders " 

"  The  Queen  also,"  said  Cardillac  with  a  laugh. 
"  If  she  objects  to  walking  down  alone  I  must 
carry  her  as  I  did  you." 

"  I  was  going  to  suggest  that,"  laughed  made- 
moiselle, "  but  I  did  not  like  to  advise.  I  may  add 
that  you  will  find  Her  Majesty  a  somewhat  heav- 
ier burden  than  I  proved  to  be.  Now,  what  am 
I  to  do  with  that  rope  ladder?  " 

"  Is  there  any  place  in  your  room  where  you  can 
conceal  it  ?  " 

"Yes.  I  have  discovered  a  secret  cupboard. 
Shall  I  pull  up  the  ladder  and  place  it  there?" 

"Yes,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  twenty- 
second  hang  it  out  as  you  did  to-night,  and  I  shall 
come  up  at  one  o'clock  as  I  did  to-night." 

Here  the  young  people  abandoned  conspiracy, 
and  made  a  merry  meal  of  it,  listening  to  the 
music,  and  talking  about  one  another.  It  was 
nearly  eleven  o'clock  when  they  left,  and  the 
gaiety  of  the  great  restaurant  was  now  at  its 
height.  They  walked  slowly  and  joyously  to- 
gether, she  nestling  close  to  him;  and  thus  under 
the  wintry  stars,  through  the  almost  deserted 
streets,  reached  the  quietude  of  the  square  before 
the  chateau. 

Making  sure  that  no  one  was  near,  Cardillac 
mounted  to  the  terrace,  and  she  followed  him. 


CARDILLAC 

Then  he  ran  up  to  the  first  floor,  pushed  in  the 
windows  of  Catherine  de  Medicis's  room,  that 
opened  like  double  doors,  and  sat  down  on  the 
stone  sill,  helping  the  lady  across  when,  more 
slowly,  she  attained  his  altitude.  Then  he  drew 
her  down  to  the  sill,  she  facing  inwards,  he  out- 
wards. 

"Therese,"  he  said,  with  more  than  usual  so- 
lemnity, "  do  you  know  what  this  night  has  done 
for  me?" 

"  Yes,"  she  replied  flippantly,  "  it  has  given 
you  a  very  excellent  dinner." 

"  I  am  glad  it  pleased  your  ladyship.  But 
make  another  guess." 

For  answer  the  girl  hummed  very  accurately, 
and  in  a  most  pleasing  voice,  a  bar  of  the  music 
she  had  said  she  would  never  forget. 

"  Mademoiselle,  if  you  will  not  be  serious,  I 
will  tell  you  seriously.  It  has  given  me  the  hope 
that  even  should  I  fail  in  my  mission,  I  may,  on 
other  grounds,  receive  my  reward." 

"  There  speaks  the  self-confidence  of  the  Gas- 
con,"  said  Therese,  humming  the  tune  once  more. 

"Am  I  right?"  he  asked,  but  the  music  con- 
tinued. He  tried  to  draw  her  towards  him,  but 
she  resisted,  then,  suddenly: 

"  Perhaps,"  she  said,  and  kissed  him  with  sur- 
prising suddenness,  of  her  own  accord.  Spring- 
ing up,  she  closed  the  window,  and  almost  precip- 
itated her  lover  to  the  terrace. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

HOW    THE    RESCUE    WAS    ACCOMPLISHED 

NEXT  morning  Cardillac  mounted  his 
horse  and  rode  back  to  Montrichard. 
A  day  or  two  later  he  called  on  his 
tailor  to  show  him  the  triumph  of  art  which  Blois 
had  accomplished  in  the  manufacture  of  his  cloak. 
He  then  requested  the  tailor  to  lead  him  to  his 
prisoner,  who,  after  some  weeks  of  unappeasable 
anger,  had  settled  down  to  a  month  of  melan- 
choly. Now  he  was  in  the  final  state  of  patient 
resignation,  with  nevertheless  a  revengeful  glit- 
ter in  his  eye  that  boded  ill  for  the  jailor,  should 
he  ever  again  meet  his  prisoner. 

"  Reverend  father,"  said  the  Gascon,  "  you 
have  had  one  secret  out  of  me,  and  now  I  am  go~ 
ing  to  tell  you  another." 

"  I  hope  I  shall  not  be  compelled  to  pay  for  the 
second  the  price  that  was  exacted  for  the  first," 
muttered  the  abbe,  striving  hard  to  maintain  that 
humility  which  he  had  recently  assumed. 

"  Oh,  no,  indeed.  I  have  come  to  set  you  at  lib- 
erty, and  your  horse  is  ready  to  carry  you  to 
Loches." 

355 


256  CARDILLAC 

The  abbe's  eyes  gleamed  with  a  baleful  light, 
but  he  said  nothing. 

"  The  secret  which  must  have  puzzled  you  is 
this.  Why  shouIH  I,  an  unknown,  unimportant 
person,  have  dared  to  imprison  a  dear  friend  of 
the  commander  of  the  Queen's  forces? — a  man 
who  even  without  such  powerful  support  is  quite 
strong  enough  to  make  a  great  deal  of  trouble 
for  me." 

"  I  should  never  think,"  returned  the  abbe,  with 
pathetic  meekness,  "  of  indulging  in  so  low  a  pas- 
sion as  revenge." 

"Well,  abbe,  I  should  be  the  last  man  in  the 
world  to  advise  you  to  forgo  revenge  if  you  desire 
it,  but  I  am  quite  sure  you  will  say  nothing  of 
your  imprisonment.  I  ask  you  now  to  mount  your 
horse  and  speed  to  Loches.  Tell  the  Duke  d'Eper- 
nori,  and  his  son  the  archbishop,  to  lead  to  Mont- 
richard  a  mounted  guard  of  importance  suitable 
for  the  escorting  of  the  Queen.  The  company  must 
be  at  Montrichard  by  six  o'clock  on  the  morning 
of  the  twenty-second.  There  I,  your  assistant, 
abbe,  shall  hand  over  to  their  keeping  Her  Ma- 
jesty the  Queen.  I  could  not  ask  a  man  of  your 
position  to  indulge  in  falsehood." 

"  I  should  think  not,"  muttered  the  abbe,  eyeing 
Cardillac  with  doubt  and  misgiving,  the  glance, 
nevertheless,  illumined  with  a  ray  of  hope. 

"  But  if  I  were  you  I  should  assume  a  distant, 
mysterious  air.  I  should  say  to  enquirers :  *  You 


HOW   RESCUE   WAS   ACCOMPLISHED    357 

thought  my  plots  weak,  but  you  have  not  taken 
into  account  the  untrustworthy  material  with 
which  I  have  had  to  deal,  therefore  I  prefer  to 
say  nothing  about  this  latest  development.  I 
may  mention,  however,  that  I  was  able  to  dis- 
tinguish certain  capabilities  in  that  young  man, 
Cardillac,  which  the  rest  of  you  overlooked.  I 
refuse  to  state  in  what  way  I  have  occupied  my 
time  since  last  I  saw  you.  I  prefer  to  be  judged 
by  results.  Marshal  your  men,  therefore,  at 
Montrichard  on  the  morning  of  the  twenty-sec- 
ond at  six  o'clock.  I  do  not  ask  you  to  believe  that 
Her  Majesty  the  Queen  will  be  delivered  into 
your  hands,  but  I  do  ask  you  to  be  prepared  for 
such  a  contingency.' 

"  If  you  say  this,  abbe,  with  an  air  of  dignity 
and  hauteur,  you  will  find  it  most  effective.  You 
see,  there  is  no  desire  on  my  part  to  pose  as  the 
rescuer  of  the  Queen.  I  ask  no  reward  from 
Epernon,  his  son,  or  yourself.  I  do  not  intend 
to  offer  my  sword  to  Her  Majesty,  nor  is  there 
any  office  in  her  gift  which  I  could  possibly 
accept. 

"  Therefore,  abbe,  a  word  to  the  wise  is  suffi- 
cient. You  are  free.  Make  what  use  you  like 
of  that  freedom.  Divulge  the  secret  of  your  un- 
authorised imprisonment  or  keep  silence  about  it 
as  best  suits  your  convenience.  Forgive  me,  and 
farewell  until  six  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the 
twenty-second." 


358  CARDILLAC 

Thus  it  comes  about  that  history  is  in  a  quan- 
dary to  state  who  is  justly  entitled  to  the  credit 
of  rescuing  Marie  de  Medicis. 

On  the  night  of  the  twenty-first  of  February, 
Cardillac  left  Montrichard  on  horseback,  with  a 
carriage  and  pair  belonging  to  his  host  of  the 
Tete  Noire,  driven  by  the  stout  landlord  him- 
self. 

They  arrived  at  the  end  of  the  bridge  about 
one  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  twenty-second, 
Cardillac  ordering  the  carriage  to  wait  in  one  of 
the  side  streets  of  the  little  village  of  Vienne,  on 
the  southern  bank  of  the  Loire.  He  left  his  horse 
also  in  charge  of  the  inn-keeper,  and  crossed  the 
bridge  on  foot.  At  half-past  one  he  reached  the 
castle,  and  found  the  rope  ladder  in  place. 

The  sight  he  saw  on  looking  through  the  win- 
dow, after  climbing  to  the  first  floor,  was  not  in- 
spiring. 

The  Queen  stood  surrounded  by  her  women,  the 
very  picture  of  irresolution.  A  maid,  weeping 
bitterly,  was  engaged  in  collecting  the  numerous 
jewels  and  putting  them  away  in  boxes.  Marie 
de  Medicis  had  all  but  ruined  Henri  IV  by  in- 
dulging in  her  passion  for  collecting  precious 
stones,  that  were  now  to  provide  the  sinews  of 
war  for  a  contest  against  his  son. 

Therese  de  Montreuil  seemed  to  be  the  only 
person  in  the  room  with  dry  eyes.  All  the  others 


HOW   RESCUE   WAS   ACCOMPLISHED    359 

were  persuading  the  Queen  not  to  attempt  so  dan- 
gerous an  excursion. 

Cardillac  tapped  on  the  window  and  stepped 
inside.  Marie  de  Medicis  at  once  announced  that 
the  project  must  be  abandoned,  but  Cardillac 
merely  laughed.  The  carriage  was  waiting,  he 
said,  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  and  three 
hundred  horsemen  were  on  their  way  from  Loches 
to  Montrichard,  who  would  be  ready  in  the  morn- 
ing to  escort  her  into  safety. 

He  made  jocular  remarks  to  those  who  wept, 
and  soon  changed  the  atmosphere  of  desolation 
into  something  almost  approaching  hilarity.  The 
Queen's  courage  revived,  but  when  she  walked  to 
the  window  and  looked  down  the  dark  chasm, 
she  shuddered  and  declared  she  could  not 
venture. 

Cardillac  encouraged  and  cajoled  without  effect, 
until  Therese,  without  a  word,  stepped  across  the 
sill  and  disappeared  down  the  wall.  Then  the 
Queen  gathered  her  skirts  about  her  and  trem- 
blingly followed  to  the  terrace.  One  after  the 
other,  all  reached  the  platform  high  above  the 
street. 

Here  was  safety  at  last,  but  another  difficulty 
arose.  Marie  flatly  refused  to  descend  the  sec- 
ond ladder.  She  maintained  that  one  such  ex- 
perience was  enough.  Thus  they  all  stood  hud- 
dled on  the  top  of  a  steep  embankment  at  two 


360  CARDILLAC 

o'clock  on  a  frigid  February  morning,  with  a  mon- 
arch who  would  neither  advance  nor  retreat. 

Persuasion  was  without  effect,  and  any  attempt 
at  coercion  of  royalty  constituted  high  treason. 
The  situation  was  ludicrous,  but  none  the  less 
dangerous.  While  the  others  held  a  consultation, 
Cardillac,  in  the  darkness,  investigated,  as  well 
as  he  could,  the  peculiarities  of  the  terrace.  He 
found  that  the  recent  heavy  rains  had  formed  a 
ravine  down  which  the  water  had  forced  a  pas- 
sage to  reach  the  road. 

Hastily  returning,  he,  like  a  second  Raleigh, 
spread  his  beautiful  new  cloak  on  the  ground,  and 
urged  the  Queen  to  seat  herself  upon  it.  She  did 
so  after  great  hesitation,  and  the  situation  was 
saved  at  the  expense  of  the  cloak.  Grasping  his 
garment,  Cardillac  dragged  it  and  its  burden  down 
the  valley  to  the  highroad,  as  anyone  may  learn 
who  consults  a  detailed  history  of  France. 

The  whole  party  passed  through  the  Faubourg 
du  Foix,  Cardillac  singing  a  roysterer's  song,  be- 
ing jeered  at  as  drunk  by  the  King's  guard,  who 
made  jokes,  not  too  delicate,  upon  the  party.  The 
jokes,  however,  returned  home  to  roost  next 
morning. 

Once  across  the  bridge,  Cardillac  was  dismayed 
to  find  the  carriage  missing.  A  hurried  search  of 
Vienne  discovered  the  inn-keeper  asleep,  and  the 
horses  wandering  about  trying  to  find  the  road 


HOW   RESCUE   WAS   ACCOMPLISHED    361 

home.  At  last  Marie  and  her  party  got  inside, 
when  a  new  obstacle  presented  itself.  The  Queen 
cried  out  that  one  of  her  packages  had  been 
lost,  and  that  a  servant  must  return  in  search  of 
it.  Cardillac  protested  against  so  perilous  a  delay. 
At  any  moment,  said  he,  the  escape  might  be 
discovered,  and  an  alarm-cannon  fired  that  would 
bring  the  inhabitants  of  Blois  about  them  like  a 
swarm  of  hornets ;  but  the  Queen  would  not  budge 
until  the  box  was  found.  The  casket  was  dis- 
covered on  the  bridge,  and  contained  gems  that 
were  afterwards  sold  for  a  hundred  thousand 
crowns,  so  the  persistence  of  Her  Majesty  was  not 
without  its  excuse. 

At  Montrichard,  Cardillac's  party  met  the  Duke 
d'Epernon,  the  Duke  de  Montreuil,  the  archbishop 
of  Toulouse  at  the  head  of  three  hundred  troop- 
ers, and  above  all  the  proud  and  exultant  Rucellai, 
abbe  of  Ligny,  easily  hero  of  the  occasion. 

The  good  abbe  had  regained  his  lost  influence 
over  the  commander  of  the  Queen's  army,  so  con- 
fident was  he  that,  at  last,  Her  Majesty  would  be 
released,  and  so  successful  in  imparting  this  con- 
fidence to  Epernon  and  his  son.  Rucellai  was 
even  so  condescending  as  to  speak  of  Cardillac 
with  gracious  commendation.  The  young  man,  it 
seemed,  had  quite  fulfilled  the  abbe's  anticipations. 

Epernon,  inspired  by  Rucellai's  self-reliance, 
took  the  first  step  in  the  forthcoming  civil  war  by 


362  CARDILLAC 

marching  his  men  to  the  gate  of  the  castle  that 
Richard  Coeur  de  Lion  had  captured,  and  de- 
manding its  surrender. 

It  was  held  by  less  than  a  dozen  men,  whose 
officer,  being  without  instruction  touching  such  an 
unforeseen  contingency,  gave  it  up.  His  orders 
had  been  to  avoid  hostilities,  therefore  he  marched 
out  with  his  little  company,  and  took  the  road 
to  Blois,  and  thus  the  action  of  Epernon  came 
within  an  ace  of  turning  Cardillac's  victory  into 
defeat,  had  the  officer  suspected  who  travelled  in 
the  carriage  he  met. 

The  officer  asked  Cardillac  if  war  had  been  de- 
clared, and  was  assured  that  it  had  not.  This 
confirmed  the  officer  in  the  belief  that  he  had 
done  right  in  surrendering  the  stronghold;  a  be- 
lief which  he  found  was  unshared  by  his  superior 
in  Blois,  who,  however,  was  now  immersed  in  his 
own  troubles,  for  Blois  was  panic-stricken  in  the 
morning,  when  it  was  learned  that  the  Queen  had 
escaped. 

Her  Majesty  rested  for  several  hours  in  the  cas- 
tle at  Montrichard,  and  then  the  imposing  pro- 
cession crossed  the  bridge  and  rode  for  Loches, 
where  it  was  received  with  great  acclaim. 


CHAPTER   XXXVI 

THE    REWARD 

VICTOR  DE  CARDILLAC  had  been 
invited  to  the  drawing-room  of  the  Duke 
de  Montreuil,  in  the  chateau  of  Loches. 
The  day  was  mild  for  February,  and  the  windows 
were  open.  Up  from  the  town  rose  the  shouts 
of  the  people,  who,  although  Her  Majesty  had 
disappeared  from  their  view,  kept  up  a  joyous  riot 
in  honour  of  her  release. 

The  Duke  de  Montreuil  entered,  followed  by 
his  daughter,  who  wore  the  same  gown  that  had 
aroused  Cardillac's  admiration  in  Blois.  Indeed, 
it  was  in  this  attire  that  she  had  for  the  second 
time  left  the  chateau  down  the  ladder  of  rope; 
for,  that  being  an  excursion  on  which  no  luggage 
was  allowed,  Therese  had  dressed  in  her  best. 

Her  father  warmly  greeted  Cardillac,  and  be- 
gan to  praise  his  bravery  and  resource,  when, 
to  his  surprise,  the  girl  intervened  between  the 
two  men.  She  turned  to  her  father,  who  was, 
for  the  moment,  stricken  dumb  at  her  unexpected 
conduct. 

"  Dear  father,  you  are  easily  hoodwinked,  be- 

363 


364  CARDILLAC 

ing  not  nearly  such  a  capable  judge  of  human  na- 
ture as  I  am.  Monsieur  de  Cardillac  deserves  no 
praise.  What  he  did  was  done  from  the  most 
selfish  of  motives." 

"  My  dear  daughter !  "  protested  the  duke, 
thinking  she  had  become  demented  through  im- 
prisonment and  anxiety. 

"  Oh,  I  know  whereof  I  speak,  and  can  fathom 
Monsieur  de  Cardillac's  cunning  much  more  accu- 
rately than  you  do.  He  rescued  the  Queen  in 
hope  of  a  reward." 

"  My  dearest  Therese,  he  has  well  earned  a 
reward,  and  shall  have  it  without  stint.  All  the 
treasure •" 

"  That  is  extremely  generous  of  you,  father. 
You  have  said  enough,  and  what  you  say  is  ex- 
tremely satisfactory,  for  it  pleases  your  daughter, 
as  doubtless  it  pleases  Monsieur  de  Cardillac. 
That  night  in  the  forest,  after  our  escape  from 
the  convent,  I  practically  promised  to  marry  Mon- 
sieur de  Cardillac  if  he  succeeded  in  rescuing  the 
Queen." 

"You  what!"  gasped  the  duke,  with  darkened 
brow.  The  poor  man  had  aspired  to  a  royal  al- 
liance for  his  only  daughter. 

"  Father,  this  is  a  very  critical  moment  with 
you.  Be  careful  what  you  say.  I  am  sure  you 
would  like  to  secure  the  good  will  of  your  future 
son-in-law,  and  it  will  be  futile  coming  to  me  after- 


THE    REWARD  365 

wards  pleading  for  my  intercession  if  at  this  time 
you  should  make  any  statement  we  are  unable  to 
forgive. 

"  You  are  quite  helpless,  for  you  have  already 
pledged  your  word.  Victor  was  to  receive  his 
reward  without  stint,  you  said,  and  I  am  the  re- 
ward. In  addition  to  that,  I  have  arranged  with 
the  Queen  to  issue,  if  necessary,  her  royal  com- 
mand that  this  marriage  shall  take  place,  so  there 
you  meet  an  obstacle  that  even  you  cannot  sur- 
mount. 

"  I  have  just  gained  the  consent  of  the  arch- 
bishop of  Toulouse  to  marry  us  in  the  Chapel 
Royal  here  at  Loches,  and  I  took  the  liberty  in 
your  name,  Victor," — she  turned  upon  the  young 
man  her  radiant  smile,  and  put  her  hand  in  his, — 
"to  ask  the  abbe  of  Ligny  to  assist,  and  he  has 
most  graciously  consented.  The  good  abbe  says  he 
knows  no  young  man  so  capable  as  Monsieur  de 
Cardillac  when  there  is  a  difficult  task  to  perform. 

"  This  I  took  as  a  gentle  hint  that  the  person 
who  undertakes  to  manage  me  has  his  work  cut 
out  for  him,  therefore  I  cannot  bear  to  disap- 
point a  prince  of  the  church  like  the  archbishop, 
and  a  great  though  subtle  prelate  like  the  abbe 
of  Ligny,  who  are  looking  forward  to  the  cere- 
mony with  much  interest.  But  what  really  settles 
everything  is  the  fact  that  I  desire  the  ceremony 
to  take  place.'* 


366  CARDILLAC 

There  was  a  long  pause,  during  which  Therese 
edged  closer  and  closer  to  Cardillac.  Gradually 
the  duke's  brow  cleared;  then  he  said,  in  his  usual 
quiet  and  definite  tones  : 

"  Monsieur  de  Cardillac,  if  I  had  searched  all 
France,  I  could  find  no  man  more  to  my  liking  than 
you  as  a  husband  to  my  daughter." 

The  girl  flew  to  him,  and  flung  her  arms  around 
his  neck. 

"Oh,  father,  father!"  she  cried.  "I  knew 
you  would  not  disappoint  me.  You  are  the  great- 
est man  in  all  France ! 

"  Oh,  yes,  he  is,  Victor,"  she  continued,  looking 
over  her  father's  shoulder.  "  You  come  only  sec- 
ond." 


THE    END 


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as  disreputable  a  spot  as  the  gold  fever  was  ever  responsible  for,  . 
and  the  coming  of  that  baby  causes  the  upheaval  of  every  rooted 
tradition  of  the  place.  Its  christening,  the  problems  of  its  toys  and 
its  illness  supersede  in  the  minds  of  the  miners  all  thought  of  earthy 
treasure. 

THE  FURNACE  OF  GOLD.  By  Philip  Verrill  Mighels, 
author  of  "Bruvver  Jim's  Baby."  Illustrations  by  J.  N. 
Marchand. 

An  accurate  and  Informing  portrayal  of  scenes,  types,  and  condi- 
tions of  the  mining  districts  in  modern  Nevada. 

The  book  is  an  out-door  story,  clean,  exciting,  exemplifying  no- 
bility and  courage  of  character,  and  bravery,  and  heroism  in  the  sort 
of  men  and  women  we  all  admire  and  wish  to  know. 

THE  MESSAGE.     By  Louis  Tracy.  Illustrations  by  Joseph 

C.  Chase. 

A  breezy  tale  of  how  a  bit  of  old  parchment,  concealed  in  a  figure- 
head from  a  sunken  vessel,  comes  into  the  possession  of  a  pretty 
girl  and  an  army  man  during  regatta  week  in  the  Isle  of  Wight. 
This  is  the  message  and  it  enfolds  a  mystery,  the  development  of 
which  the  reader  will  follow  with  breathless  interest. 

THE  SCARLET  EMPIRE.  By  David  M.  Parry.  Illus- 
trations by  Hermann  C.  Wall. 

A  young  socialist,  weary  of  life,  plunges  into  the  sea  and  awakes 
in  the  lost  island  of  Atlantis,  known  as  the  Scarlet  Empire,  where 
a  social  democracy  is  in  full  operation,  granting  every  man  a  living 
but  limiting  food,  conversation,  education  and  marriage. 

The  hero  passes  through  an  enthralling  love  affair  and  other  ad- 
ventures but  finally  returns  to  his  own  New  York  world. 

THE  THIRD  DEGREE.  By  Charles  Klein  and  Arthur 
Hornblow.  Illustrations  by  Clarence  Rowe. 

A  novel  which  exposes  the  abuses  in  this  country  of  the  police 
system. 

The  son  of  an  aristocratic  New  York  family  marries  a  woman 
socially  beneath  him,  but  of  strong,  womanly  qualities  that,  later 
on,  save  the  man  from  the  tragic  consequences  of  a  dissipated  life. 

The  wife  believes  in  his  innocence  and  her  wit  and  good  sense 
iaelp  her  to  win  against  the  tremendous  odds  imposed  by  law. 

THE  THIRTEENTH  DISTRICT.  By  Brand  Whitlock. 
A  realistic  western  story  of  love  and  politics  and  a  searching  study 
of  their  influence  on  character,  The  author  shows  with  extraordi- 
nary vitality  of  treatment  the  tricks,  the  heat,  the  passion,  the  tu- 
mult of  the  political  arena  the  triumph  and  strength  of  love, 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  526  WEST  26th  ST.,  NEW  YORK 


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